Black Resilience Fund Village Building Program
The Village Building Program (also called the Village Building Cohort Model) is a three-year guaranteed basic income initiative run by Brown Hope through its Black Resilience Fund, providing 25 Black households in Multnomah County, Oregon with unconditional monthly cash payments. Disbursements began in late 2022/January 2023 and were scheduled to run through December 2025. Payments scale with household size, from $1,000 to $2,000 a month depending on the number of children. The program is funded through private donations and philanthropic support, including a matching campaign from the Oregon Community Foundation.
Guaranteed Income, Racial Justice, Black Portlanders, Village Building Cohort, Black Resilience Fund
Headquarters
- Organization Name
- Brown Hope
- City
- Portland
- State / Province
- Oregon
- Country
- United States
Contact
- media@brownhope.org
- Social media links
Status & Funding
- Organization status
- Active
- Program status
- Inactive
- Application status
- Timed
- Number of recipients
- 25
- Funding type
- Nonprofit, Philanthropic
Benefits
- Currency Type
- Fiat
- Currency
- USD
- Total Amount
- 72,000 USD
- Avg. Per Month
- 2,000 USD
- Payment frequency
- Monthly
- How long the program lasts
- 36 months
- Benefit details
Monthly payments are tiered by household composition: $1,000/month for single adults, $1,500/month for adults with one or two children, and $2,000/month for adults with three or more children, for a maximum of roughly $72,000 over the full 36-month program. Payments are unconditional cash with no spending restrictions. Recipients are also part of a 'Village Building Cohort' offering community-building gatherings intended to foster social and spiritual support alongside the cash assistance.
Eligibility
Overview
- Eligibility details
Applicants must be at least 18 years old, identify as Black, African American, or African, and reside in Multnomah County, Oregon. Priority (comprising roughly 30-40% of selected participants) was given to formerly incarcerated individuals, single parents, low-wage workers earning within $2 of Portland's minimum wage, and former foster youth. The August 2022 application window drew between 7,500 and 11,000 applicants for approximately 25-50 available spots.
Demographics
- Minimum age
- 18
- Race / ethnicity targets
- Black, African American, or African
Family
- Family Status
- Single Parent, Foster Youth
Justice
- Justice involvement status
- Formerly Incarcerated
Geography
- US states covered
- Oregon
- Countries covered
- United States
- Cities covered
- Portland
- Counties covered
- Multnomah
- Residency of Target Geography
- Yes
Participation
- Research / data sharing
- Required
- Research / participation requirements
Brown Hope's evaluation team conducts monthly surveys and focus groups with Village Building Cohort members to measure program outcomes across economic, social, and spiritual capacity (e.g., progress toward homeownership, entrepreneurship, and education goals), with plans to maintain relationships with recipients after the program concludes.
Application Process
- How to apply
Applications were accepted online during a defined window opening August 15, 2022, for the initial Village Building Cohort; the fund received 7,500-11,000 applications for roughly 25-50 spots. No evidence of a currently open, rolling application for this specific guaranteed-income cohort.
- Selection process
Applicants were reviewed against eligibility criteria (Black/African American/African identity, Multnomah County residency, age 18+), with priority given to formerly incarcerated individuals, single parents, low-wage workers within $2 of Portland's minimum wage, and former foster youth, who were intended to comprise 30-40% of the selected cohort.
