CASH LA Cohort 1
CASH LA Cohort 1 was a 2025 pilot led by the AMAAD Institute, in partnership with Point Source Youth and LA Emissary, that gave about 100 young adults (ages 18-30) in Los Angeles County a one-time, flexible cash payment to prevent them from entering the homelessness system. Each participant worked with a trained provider to build a personalized 'Housing Action Plan,' and the payment amount was tailored to that plan rather than a fixed stipend. The pilot was funded through philanthropic and private support, including Cedars-Sinai, the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, and private donors, and is being evaluated by Johns Hopkins University. A separate later phase, CASH LA Cohort 2, is led by a different organization (Safe Place for Youth).
Homelessness prevention, LGBTQ+ youth, youth of color, young adults, needs-based flexible payment, Los Angeles County
Headquarters
- Organization Name
- AMAAD Institute
- City
- Los Angeles
- State / Province
- California
- Country
- United States
Contact
- Website
- https://amaad.org/
- Phone
- +1 323-569-1610
- Social media links
Status & Funding
- Organization status
- Active
- Program status
- Inactive
- Application status
- Timed
- Number of recipients
- 100
- Funding type
- Philanthropic
Benefits
- Currency Type
- Fiat
- Currency
- USD
- Payment frequency
- Lump Sum
- Distribution Type
- Usio (digital/prepaid card disbursement platform, per program information)
- Benefit details
Participants received a single, one-time cash payment tied to an individualized 'Housing Action Plan' developed with a trained AMAAD provider; the amount was flexible and needs-based (e.g., for rent, back rent, moving costs, car repair, or tuition) rather than a uniform dollar figure. Disbursement began around August 2025 and continued until program funds were fully distributed. Enrolled participants also had access to complementary financial planning and budgeting support. Publicly available profiles of related CASH LA recipients cite individual payments of $3,500-$4,000, though these examples were not confirmed as specific to Cohort 1 versus the later Cohort 2.
Eligibility
Overview
- Eligibility details
Open to young adults ages 18-30 in Los Angeles County who were at imminent risk of losing their housing but not yet unhoused. The program especially prioritized LGBTQ+ youth and youth of color, who experience homelessness at disproportionately high rates, though this was described as a design focus rather than a strict eligibility screen. Applicants worked with an AMAAD Institute provider to develop and get approval for a Housing Action Plan as part of enrollment.
Demographics
- Minimum age
- 18
- Maximum age
- 30
- Race / ethnicity targets
- Youth of color (priority population, program design explicitly centers LGBTQ youth of color, not a strict exclusionary criterion)
Geography
- US states covered
- California
- Countries covered
- United States
- Counties covered
- Los Angeles
- Residency of Target Geography
- Yes
Participation
- Complementary program enrollment required
- Financial planning and budgeting support offered to enrolled participants (not confirmed as mandatory)
- Research / participation requirements
Program impact is being tracked through participant surveys and data collection in partnership with Johns Hopkins University, measuring housing stability, financial well-being, and overall health; a final evaluation report was expected around Spring 2026 per program materials (not independently confirmed as published).
Application Process
- How to apply
Not publicly detailed as a self-service application; young adults at risk of losing housing were connected to the program through AMAAD Institute and partner (LA Emissary, Point Source Youth) outreach and referral, then worked with a trained provider to complete an approved Housing Action Plan before cash was disbursed.
- Selection process
Eligible young adults (ages 18-30) at imminent risk of housing loss in LA County were identified through AMAAD Institute and partner referral networks; enrollment required completing and getting approval for an individualized Housing Action Plan with a provider before a one-time payment was issued.
