Contra Costa Thrives
Contra Costa Thrives is a county-run guaranteed income pilot serving 170 Contra Costa County, California residents with unconditional cash payments of up to $1,250/month for 18 months. It targets four groups already enrolled in county services: youth transitioning out of foster care, families with young children experiencing financial hardship, low-income seniors, and people on probation returning from incarceration. Administered by EHSD, funded by $3.25M in Measure X sales-tax revenue, $1M in AB 109 state realignment funds, and $16,200 from nonprofit VESTIA. First payments issued January 15, 2026; pilot runs through December 2027. UC Davis is conducting the evaluation, including a five-year follow-up study.
Guaranteed Income, Foster Youth, Low-Income Seniors, Justice-Impacted, Reentry, California, County Pilot, UC Davis Evaluation
Headquarters
- Organization Name
- Contra Costa County Employment and Human Services Department (EHSD)
- City
- Martinez
- State / Province
- California
- Country
- United States
Contact
- Website
- https://ehsd.org/
- Phone
- +1 925 608 4800
- Social media links
Status & Funding
- Organization status
- Active
- Program status
- Active
- Application status
- Timed
- Number of recipients
- 170
- Funding type
- Government, Nonprofit
Benefits
- Currency Type
- Fiat
- Currency
- USD
- Total Amount
- 22,500 USD
- Avg. Per Month
- 1,250 USD
- Payment frequency
- Monthly
- How long the program lasts
- 18 months
- Benefit details
Most participants receive $1,250/month for 18 months (up to $22,500 total), though sources indicate a few options for amount/timing and cite an average total of ~$18,000. At least 75% of budget earmarked for direct cash payments. Unconditional, no restrictions on spending. A separate 356-person control group is compensated for research participation but receives no guaranteed income. Program also aims to help housing-insecure older adults remain stably housed, including home repair support.
Eligibility
Overview
- Eligibility details
Applicants must be active in a qualifying county program: CalWORKs Welfare-to-Work/Cal-Learn, Independent Living Skills Program (foster youth), Adult Protective Services, or County Probation. Must have legal control of own finances and not be in another guaranteed income program. Targets 4 populations: foster youth transitioning to adulthood, families with young children facing hardship, low-income seniors, and people returning from incarceration. Advocates have criticized the design for excluding undocumented immigrants and others not already in the county system.
Family
- Family Status
- Foster Youth, Parent
Financial
- Currently receiving government benefits
- Required
Justice
- Justice involvement status
- Formerly Incarcerated, On Probation
Geography
- US states covered
- California
- Countries covered
- United States
- Counties covered
- Contra Costa
- Residency of Target Geography
- Yes
Participation
- Research / data sharing
- Required
- Complementary program enrollment required
- CalWORKs Welfare-to-Work, Cal-Learn, Independent Living Skills Program, Adult Protective Services, or County Probation (prior/active enrollment required for eligibility)
- Research / participation requirements
UC Davis conducts the evaluation, including random assignment and a planned five-year follow-up study. A 356-person control group is compensated for research participation but receives no payments. County officials said the evaluation could cost more than $600,000.
Application Process
- How to apply
No open public application. County caseworkers identify eligible candidates from among people already active in a qualifying county program and submit them for internal review. No self-service sign-up portal exists for this program.
- Selection process
Caseworkers identify eligible candidates and submit to a manager for review/approval; approved candidates referred to the EHSD Guaranteed Income Program Manager, who invites all eligible candidates to mandatory orientation, then refers consenting candidates to UC Davis for random assignment into the 170-person participant group or 356-person control group. EHSD aimed for equitable distribution across the county's five supervisorial districts.
