Re-Entry Guaranteed Income
This is a Guaranteed Basic Income (GBI) pilot for justice-involved residents of Santa Clara County, administered by the County of Santa Clara's Office of the County Executive in partnership with the nonprofit Destination: Home. Eligible participants, referred by County reentry, probation, and community partners rather than through an open application, receive $1,200 per month, unconditional, for 24 months to help reduce homelessness risk and recidivism. Funding is a public/private mix, combining federal ARPA dollars, County general funds, California state funding, AB 109 realignment funds, and philanthropic contributions from Destination: Home. Payments are distributed via prepaid debit card through partner Community Financial Resources (CFR). The pilot includes a research and evaluation component tracking outcomes such as recidivism, housing stability, and self-sufficiency.
Justice-Involved, Reentry, Recidivism Reduction, County-run, Referral-based Enrollment, California
Headquarters
- Organization Name
- County of Santa Clara (Office of the County Executive), in partnership with Destination: Home
- City
- San Jose
- State / Province
- California
- Country
- United States
Contact
- Phone
- +1 408 299 5105
- Social media links
Status & Funding
- Organization status
- Active
- Program status
- Active
- Application status
- Timed
- Number of recipients
- 100
- Funding type
- Government, Nonprofit
Benefits
- Currency Type
- Fiat
- Currency
- USD
- Total Amount
- 28,800 USD
- Avg. Per Month
- 1,200 USD
- Payment frequency
- Monthly
- How long the program lasts
- 24 months
- Distribution Type
- Pre-paid debit card
- Benefit details
Participants receive $1,200 per month for 24 months with no strings attached, distributed via a prepaid Visa debit card issued through Community Financial Resources (CFR). In addition to cash, participants are connected to services supporting housing stability, financial independence, self-sufficiency, and community building. The program is one of several County of Santa Clara GBI pilots (alongside former foster youth, young parents, and unhoused high school seniors cohorts) sharing a common $1,200/month, 24-month payment structure. Total program funding of $4 million comes from ARPA, County general fund, state funding, AB 109 funds, and Destination: Home.
Eligibility
Overview
- Eligibility details
Eligible participants are Santa Clara County residents who have been incarcerated or are otherwise under justice-system supervision (e.g., probation or parole). There is no public application; all enrollment happens through referrals from County departments (such as Reentry Services and Probation) and community-based organizations serving justice-involved clients. Specific income, age, or household eligibility thresholds were not publicly disclosed. Eligibility criteria were developed by the County in consultation with community stakeholders, people with lived justice-system experience, and an independent evaluator.
Justice
- Justice involvement status
- Formerly Incarcerated, On Parole, On Probation
Geography
- US states covered
- California
- Countries covered
- United States
- Counties covered
- Santa Clara
- Residency of Target Geography
- Yes
Participation
- Research / data sharing
- Required
- Research / participation requirements
The pilot includes a rigorous research and evaluation component overseen by the County of Santa Clara, tracking outcomes such as recidivism rates, housing stability, employment, and well-being, consistent with evaluation of the County's other GBI cohorts (e.g., former foster youth). The seed data's claim that the 'County Public Health Department, Science Branch' is the research institution could not be independently confirmed through public County or Destination: Home sources found in this research.
Application Process
- How to apply
There is no open application. All enrollment occurs through referrals from partner organizations, including the County's Reentry Services / Probation departments, the Public Defender's Office, and community-based justice-advocacy organizations working with justice-involved clients in Santa Clara County.
- Selection process
Referral partners identify and refer eligible justice-involved individuals to the County; final eligibility and selection is coordinated by the County of Santa Clara and Destination: Home, with input from an independent evaluator and community stakeholders with lived justice-system experience who helped design the program.
