ELEVATE Concord (Monument Impact's Family Economic Equity Pilot)
ELEVATE Concord is a guaranteed income pilot run by the nonprofit Monument Impact in partnership with the City of Concord, serving 120 single-parent families with young children who were still recovering from COVID-19 income loss and facing housing instability. Participants received $500 per month for 12 months plus a one-time $2,500 stabilization gift, delivered via UpTogether's digital payment platform, alongside optional wraparound services like technology classes, business support, and rental assistance. The pilot was funded primarily with $1.5 million in City of Concord American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, supplemented by private philanthropic support from funders such as the Latino Community Foundation and Y&H Soda Foundation. An independent evaluation found strong gains in housing stability and mental health during the program that receded sharply once payments ended.
Guaranteed Income, Single Parents, ARPA-funded, One-time housing stabilization gift, UpTogether platform, Bay Area, Post-COVID recovery
Headquarters
- Organization Name
- Monument Impact
- City
- Concord
- State / Province
- California
- Country
- United States
Contact
- Website
- https://monumentimpact.org/
- Phone
- +1 925 682 8248
- Social media links
Status & Funding
- Organization status
- Active
- Program status
- Inactive
- Application status
- Timed
- Number of recipients
- 120
- Funding type
- Government, Philanthropic, Nonprofit
Benefits
- Currency Type
- Fiat
- Currency
- USD
- Total Amount
- 8,500 USD
- Avg. Per Month
- 708.33 USD
- Payment frequency
- Monthly
- How long the program lasts
- 12 months
- Distribution Type
- Digital/virtual payment card (via UpTogether platform)
- Benefit details
Families received $500/month in unrestricted cash for 12 months (Nov 2023-Oct 2024) plus a one-time upfront $2,500 gift intended specifically to help stabilize housing, for a combined total of roughly $8,500 per family. Funds were structured as a gift to stay under the IRS $16,000 annual gift-tax exclusion, and Monument Impact helped participants apply for waivers so the cash wouldn't disqualify them from other public benefits. Payments were delivered digitally through UpTogether's platform. Participants could also access optional wraparound services including technology classes, an emerging business program, mental health classes, and rental assistance.
Eligibility
Overview
- Eligibility details
To qualify, applicants had to be Concord residents, single parents with at least one child age 12 or younger, earning $55,000 or less annually, who had lost income during COVID-19 and were facing housing instability. Monument Impact received 178 qualifying applications; UpTogether then randomly selected 120 recipients from that pool via lottery.
Demographics
- Minimum age
- 18
- Language
- English, Spanish
Family
- Family Status
- Single Parent
- Number of dependents (minimum)
- 1
Housing
- Housing status
- Renter
Health
- Health conditions
- COVID-19 (loss of income due to COVID-19 was an eligibility factor)
Financial
- Income limit (annual household)
- $55,000
Geography
- US states covered
- California
- Countries covered
- United States
- Cities covered
- Concord
- Counties covered
- Contra Costa
- Residency of Target Geography
- Yes
Participation
- Research / data sharing
- Required
- Complementary program enrollment required
- Optional wraparound services (technology classes, emerging business program, mental health classes, rental assistance) offered but not required as a condition of receiving payments.
- Research / participation requirements
The pilot was evaluated by Dr. Rosa Maria Sternberg, an assistant adjunct professor at UC San Francisco, working with Monument Impact staff. A baseline survey was administered at program start, with follow-up surveys roughly every three months during the 12-month cash disbursement period and continuing for a year afterward, covering finances, housing, employment, community, and health. Findings presented to the Concord City Council (informational item, March 24, 2026) showed that during the program 82% of participants said Elevate helped them pay rent on time and severe anxiety fell to near zero, but post-program surveys found 55% could not pay rent on time, nearly 90% found rent 'very difficult,' and almost half could not buy needed food -- indicating gains largely reversed once payments stopped.
Application Process
- How to apply
Prospective participants applied for consideration through Monument Impact and its implementation/outreach partners (including Cesar Chavez Center/Unity Council, New Hope Church, Family Justice Center, and First 5 Center) during a defined application window in fall 2023; 178 applicants met the eligibility criteria.
- Selection process
From the pool of 178 eligible applicants, distribution partner UpTogether randomly selected (lottery) 120 families to receive the guaranteed income benefit.
