Rise Up Alameda
se Up Alameda, a City of Alameda guaranteed income pilot program provided $1,000 per month to 150 low-income Alameda households over a two-year period from 2023 to 2025. The Alameda City Council directed the use of $4.6 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding for Rise Up Alameda and successfully launched the program in Fall of 2023. The goals of Rise Up Alameda were to reduce economic instability for program participants, help to change local narratives and perceptions surrounding poverty and the provision of public benefits, and help to support and inform the larger discussion regarding public benefits and anti-poverty policies.
Low Income
Headquarters
- City
- Alameda
- State / Province
- Califorina
Contact
Status & Funding
- Application status
- Closed
- Number of recipients
- 150
- Funding type
- Government
Benefits
- Currency Type
- Fiat
- Currency
- USD
- Total Amount
- 24,000 USD
- Total Amount Per Year
- 12,000 USD
- Payment frequency
- Monthly
- How long the program lasts
- 24 months
- Distribution Type
- Debit Card
Eligibility
Demographics
- Minimum age
- 18
Financial
- Income limit (annual household)
- $97,650
- Income as % of Area Median Income
- 50 %
Geography
- US states covered
- California
- Countries covered
- United States
- Cities covered
- Alameda
- Residency of Target Geography
- Yes
Participation
- Research / data sharing required
- Yes
- Research / participation requirements
Research was built into the program from the start — Abt Associates (Abt Global) served as the research partner and designed a rigorous evaluation with a control group of 180 randomly selected non-recipient applicants alongside the 150 participants. The initial online application doubled as the baseline research survey, and Abt conducted follow-up surveys at the 12-month mark (end of year one) and a final 24-month survey in fall 2025 to assess outcomes at program completion. As with the eligibility/benefits consent, participants had to give informed consent to participate in the program, but the research surveys were the core data-collection mechanism for measuring impact — both for the treatment group and the control group.
Application Process
- How to apply
Applications were accepted online during a defined window — September 8 to September 18, 2023 — in multiple languages (English, Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Arabic, Korean, Vietnamese). The City provided in-person, multilingual application support and computer access on a first-come, first-served basis at the Alameda Free Library, Mastick Center, and Alameda Point Collaborative for residents needing help applying.
