STL Guaranteed Basic Income (STL GBI) Pilot Program
The STL Guaranteed Basic Income Pilot Program was a joint initiative of the City of St. Louis Office of the Treasurer and the Office of the Mayor, funded primarily by $5 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds plus $1 million from Jack Dorsey's #startsmall initiative (with Deaconess Foundation support) and later a $1 million grant from the James S. McDonnell Foundation. It provided 540 low-income St. Louis families with a school-age child $500 per month for 18 months, disbursed via reloadable debit cards issued by MoCaFi, with FORWARD administering applications. Washington University in St. Louis' Brown School (Center for Social Development and Evaluation Center), with Appalachian State University, conducted an independent evaluation. The program launched in late 2023 and concluded in 2025, with no current plans for extension.
School enrollment eligibility requirement, ARPA-funded, Missouri's first GBI pilot, MoCaFi digital debit card distribution, lawsuit-paused and privately rescued, COVID-19 recovery
Headquarters
- Organization Name
- City of St. Louis Office of the Treasurer
- City
- St. Louis
- State / Province
- Missouri
- Country
- United States
Contact
Status & Funding
- Organization status
- Active
- Program status
- Inactive
- Application status
- Timed
- Number of recipients
- 540
- Funding type
- Government, Philanthropic, Research Pilot
Benefits
- Currency Type
- Fiat
- Currency
- USD
- Total Amount
- 9,000 USD
- Avg. Per Month
- 500 USD
- Payment frequency
- Monthly
- How long the program lasts
- 18 months
- Distribution Type
- Reloadable debit card, Digital/virtual payment card
- Benefit details
Participants received $500 per month, unconditional and unrestricted, for up to 18 months, loaded onto a MoCaFi reloadable debit card that also provided online banking access and cash withdrawal capability. A Missouri circuit court lawsuit (filed by the Holy Joe Society) triggered a court-ordered pause in payments around July 2024; the program resumed in October 2024 after the James S. McDonnell Foundation provided $1 million in private funding to continue payments through completion. Evaluation data (credit records, surveys, interviews) showed reduced missed rent/utility payments, lower food insecurity, and an average 12-point credit score increase versus a comparison group.
Eligibility
Overview
- Eligibility details
Eligible households had to be City of St. Louis residents with a child or dependent under age 18 enrolled in a St. Louis Public School or public charter school, a combined household income below 170% of the Federal Poverty Level, and a documented negative financial impact from the COVID-19 pandemic. Applicants submitted a Photo ID and proof of school enrollment during a defined application window, and eligible applicants were selected via lottery. Selected applicants then had to submit financial documentation and proof of St. Louis City residency for final verification.
Family
- Family Status
- Parent
- Number of dependents (minimum)
- 1
Health
- Health conditions
- COVID-19 (required negative financial impact from the pandemic)
Financial
- Income as % of Federal Poverty Level
- 170 %
Geography
- US states covered
- Missouri
- Countries covered
- United States
- Cities covered
- St. Louis
- Residency of Target Geography
- Yes
Participation
- Research / data sharing
- Required
- Research / participation requirements
Washington University in St. Louis' Brown School (Center for Social Development and Evaluation Center), in partnership with Appalachian State University, conducted an independent mixed-methods evaluation drawing on participant surveys, interviews, spending data, and anonymized monthly credit records. Findings (released December 2025) showed improved economic security, fewer missed rent/utility payments, reduced food insecurity, increased ability to build emergency savings, and an average 12-point credit score gain versus a matched comparison group; a temporary 2024 payment pause coincided with short-term declines in credit health, underscoring the importance of payment consistency.
Application Process
- How to apply
Applications were accepted only during a defined window (October 23 – November 1, 2023). Eligible residents first signed up on the FORWARD platform to be notified when applications opened, then submitted an application with Photo ID and proof of school enrollment. Applications are now closed; the program is no longer accepting new applicants.
- Selection process
Eligible applicants were selected via a lottery system. Those chosen by lottery were then invited to submit financial documentation and verification of City of St. Louis residency; participants were confirmed for the $500 monthly payments on a first-come, first-served basis among lottery winners who completed verification.
