Elevate MV
Elevate MV was a guaranteed income pilot run by the City of Mountain View's Human Services Division, implemented through the Community Services Agency (CSA) of Mountain View, Los Altos & Los Altos Hills with support from the YMCA. It provided $500 unconditional monthly cash payments to 166 randomly selected, extremely low-income Mountain View parents and pregnant residents from December 2022 through November/December 2024. The program was funded through the City's American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) allocation plus a $100,000 donation from the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, with payments processed by Community Financial Resources (CFR). It doubled as a Randomized Controlled Trial led by the University of Pennsylvania's Center for Guaranteed Income Research (CGIR), comparing the 166-person treatment group to a 132-person control group. The pilot has concluded; a comprehensive CGIR findings report was anticipated in 2026 but was not yet published as of this research.
Guaranteed Income, ARPA-Funded, Randomized Controlled Trial, Extremely Low-Income Parents, City-Led Pilot, Santa Clara County
Headquarters
- Organization Name
- City of Mountain View
- City
- Mountain View
- State / Province
- California
- Country
- United States
Contact
- Phone
- +1 650-903-6300
- GBI@mountainview.gov
- Social media links
Status & Funding
- Organization status
- Active
- Program status
- Inactive
- Application status
- Timed
- Number of recipients
- 166
- Funding type
- Government, Philanthropic, Research Pilot
Benefits
- Currency Type
- Fiat
- Currency
- USD
- Total Amount
- 12,000 USD
- Avg. Per Month
- 500 USD
- Payment frequency
- Monthly
- How long the program lasts
- 24 months
- Distribution Type
- Pre-paid debit card, Savings account
- Benefit details
Participants received $500 per month ($12,000 total over 24 months) with no restrictions on spending and no work requirements, disbursed on the 15th of each month via a prepaid debit card or savings account administered by Community Financial Resources. The City secured a state waiver so payments would not count against CalWORKs or CalFresh eligibility, and funds were structured as a non-taxable 'gift.' A 132-person control group received no cash but was compensated $50 per completed research survey. Aggregate spending data show the largest shares went to retail sales/services (~43%) and food/groceries (~40%).
Eligibility
Overview
- Eligibility details
Applicants had to be Mountain View residents at or below 30% of the Santa Clara County Area Median Income (extremely low income), at least 18 years old, and either pregnant or a parent/custodial caregiver of at least one child under 18 at the time of the September 2022 application. Only one application per household was allowed, and eligibility was open regardless of immigration or housing status. Participants had to maintain Mountain View residency throughout the 24-month program to remain enrolled. The 166 recipients and 132-person control group were selected via an unbiased random process conducted by CGIR researchers, not the City or CSA.
Demographics
- Minimum age
- 18
- Language
- English, Spanish, Chinese, Russian
Family
- Family Status
- Parent, Expecting
- Number of dependents (minimum)
- 1
Financial
- Income as % of Area Median Income
- 30 %
Geography
- US states covered
- California
- Countries covered
- United States
- Cities covered
- Mountain View
- Residency of Target Geography
- Yes
Participation
- Research / data sharing
- Required
- Research / participation requirements
The pilot functioned as a Randomized Controlled Trial led by CGIR at the University of Pennsylvania. The initial application served as a CGIR-designed research intake survey; treatment recipients were invited to participate in periodic compensated follow-up surveys/interviews, while the 132-person control group received $50 gift cards per completed survey. Demographic and anonymized spending data were shared via a public dashboard (guaranteedincome.us/mountain-view) in partnership with Stanford Basic Income Lab and Mayors for a Guaranteed Income. A comprehensive final CGIR report was expected in 2026 (timing was 12 months after the final data-collection round, itself six months after the November 2024 final disbursement); no published final report was located as of this research.
Application Process
- How to apply
Applications were accepted online for a single 10-day window (September 16-25, 2022, 8am-midnight) via a survey-style application at mountainview.gov/ElevateMV; only one application per household was allowed, and in-person computer access hubs were available for applicants without internet access. Applications are now permanently closed with no rolling enrollment.
- Selection process
Eligible applicants were randomly sorted by independent researchers at the University of Pennsylvania Center for Guaranteed Income Research (CGIR) into a 166-person treatment group (cash recipients), a 132-person control group (no cash, compensated for survey participation), or non-participants; the City and CSA had no access to applicant data or influence over selection.
