South King County Guaranteed Basic Income Pilot
A small guaranteed basic income pilot launched by King County Councilmember Girmay Zahilay's office in 2021, using community service operating grant allocations and repurposed office funds. The pilot provided $1,000/month for 12 months to 10 extremely low-income households in South King County (King County Council District 2). Two Black-led community-based organizations, Rainier Beach Action Coalition and Urban Family, each selected and served five participating households, with RBAC distributing funds via direct deposit and Urban Family via checks. Both CBOs also provided monthly financial-literacy materials and feedback forms alongside the stipends. A University of Washington Evans School of Public Policy & Governance graduate student consulting team conducted the program evaluation and policy analysis, publishing a final report in spring 2022.
Two-CBO administration model, County Council office pilot, South King County District 2, BIPOC community, small-N pilot, university-evaluated
Headquarters
- Organization Name
- Rainier Beach Action Coalition & Urban Family (administered in partnership with the King County Council District 2 office)
- City
- Seattle
- State / Province
- Washington
- Country
- United States
Contact
- Website
- https://www.rbcoalition.org/
Status & Funding
- Organization status
- Active
- Program status
- Inactive
- Number of recipients
- 10
- Funding type
- Government
Benefits
- Currency Type
- Fiat
- Currency
- USD
- Total Amount
- 12,000 USD
- Avg. Per Month
- 1,000 USD
- Payment frequency
- Monthly
- How long the program lasts
- 12 months
- Distribution Type
- Direct Deposit (via Rainier Beach Action Coalition), Check (via Urban Family)
- Benefit details
Each of the 10 participants received $1,000 per month for 12 months, unrestricted in use. Rainier Beach Action Coalition distributed funds by direct deposit while Urban Family distributed by check. Alongside the cash, each CBO provided monthly financial-literacy educational materials and feedback forms to participating households. Each CBO had full authority over its own design and implementation of the GBI process, including outreach and disbursement logistics. GBI funds were reported to have no adverse effect on participants' other government benefits (e.g., SNAP, TANF, Housing Choice Vouchers).
Eligibility
Overview
- Eligibility details
Participants were extremely low-income households selected by Rainier Beach Action Coalition and Urban Family (five households each) from within their existing client base/community in South King County Council District 2, which spans from Seattle's southern border to the northern border of the Laurelhurst neighborhood. No public application process has been documented; selection relied on each CBO's existing relationships and knowledge of community need. Specific formal eligibility criteria (income threshold, employment status, family composition, etc.) were not published in available sources.
Geography
- US states covered
- Washington
- Countries covered
- United States
- Cities covered
- Rainier Beach (Seattle), Skyway
- Counties covered
- King County
- Residency of Target Geography
- Yes
Participation
- Research / data sharing
- Required
- Research / participation requirements
Participants received monthly financial-literacy educational materials and completed feedback forms from their CBO, and took part in interviews conducted by the University of Washington Evans School graduate student research team as part of the program's model description, mid-program, policy analysis, and final evaluation reports.
Application Process
- How to apply
No public application process was documented; participants were selected directly by the two administering CBOs (Rainier Beach Action Coalition and Urban Family) from their existing client communities.
- Selection process
Each CBO (Rainier Beach Action Coalition and Urban Family) independently selected five participating households from within its own community/client base in South King County District 2, drawing on its historic relationships and understanding of local need; the CBOs had full authority over design and implementation of the selection process.
