West Hollywood Pilot for Guaranteed Income (WHPGI)
The West Hollywood Pilot for Guaranteed Income (WHPGI) is an 18-month guaranteed income pilot launched by the City of West Hollywood in partnership with the National Council of Jewish Women, Los Angeles (NCJW|LA), providing 25 randomly selected low-income older adults (age 50+) with $1,000 in unconditional monthly cash assistance loaded onto a pre-paid debit card. It is funded through a mix of City (public) and privately raised/philanthropic dollars and is part of the national Mayors for a Guaranteed Income network; it is widely cited as the first U.S. guaranteed income pilot focused specifically on older adults. The University of Pennsylvania's Center for Guaranteed Income Research (CGIR) designed and administered the study as a randomized controlled trial to measure impacts on housing stability, poverty reduction, and social isolation. Payments began August 30, 2022 and ran for 18 months; the pilot has since concluded and applications are closed.
Seniors/older adults, LGBTQ-founded city, Mayors for a Guaranteed Income network, randomized controlled trial, aging in place, housing stability
Headquarters
- Organization Name
- City of West Hollywood (Human Services & Rent Stabilization Department); National Council of Jewish Women, Los Angeles (NCJW|LA)
- City
- West Hollywood
- State / Province
- California
- Country
- United States
Contact
- Website
- https://www.ncjwla.org/whpgi
- Phone
- +1 323 848 6400
- Social media links
Status & Funding
- Organization status
- Active
- Program status
- Inactive
- Application status
- Timed
- Number of recipients
- 25
- Funding type
- Government, Philanthropic
Benefits
- Currency Type
- Fiat
- Currency
- USD
- Total Amount
- 18,000 USD
- Avg. Per Month
- 1,000 USD
- Payment frequency
- Monthly
- How long the program lasts
- 18 months
- Distribution Type
- Pre-paid debit card
- Benefit details
Participants received $1,000/month for 18 months via a pre-paid debit card, fully unconditional with no restrictions on how funds could be spent. Aggregate participant spending was largest for food/groceries (32.2%), followed by retail sales/services (25.4%) and healthcare/medical expenses (19.6%). Selection was via random lottery among eligible applicants (an RCT design) rather than first-come, first-served. Total reported community investment was $450,000.
Eligibility
Overview
- Eligibility details
Applicants had to be 50 years or older as of August 1, 2022, currently reside within West Hollywood city limits (both housed and unhoused residents were eligible), and have an annual household income at or below the HUD "Very Low Income" threshold (50% of Area Median Income) for the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale metro area, reported as $41,400 or less. The pilot was originally conceived to focus specifically on LGBTQIA older adults but was broadened to all qualifying low-income older adults in West Hollywood due to potential legal challenges to identity-based eligibility. Eligible applicants were entered into a random lottery/RCT selection process rather than approved on a rolling basis.
Demographics
- Minimum age
- 50
Housing
- Housing status
- Renter, Homeowner, Homeless
Financial
- Income limit (annual household)
- $41,400
Geography
- US states covered
- California
- Countries covered
- United States
- Cities covered
- West Hollywood
- Residency of Target Geography
- Yes
Participation
- Research / data sharing
- Required
- Research / participation requirements
The Center for Guaranteed Income Research (CGIR) at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Social Policy and Practice served as the research and evaluation partner: it created and administered research instruments, conducted the randomized selection of participants, and collected/processed/analyzed data on housing stability, poverty reduction, and social isolation. Interim, anonymized spending and demographic data were published on the Stanford Basic Income Lab's Guaranteed Income Pilots Dashboard; as of this research (July 2026) no comprehensive final CGIR findings report was located publicly, though one was anticipated following the pilot's conclusion.
Application Process
- How to apply
Applications were accepted online (via NCJW|LA's WHPGI program page) during specific open enrollment windows announced by the City; the application period was reopened at least once (e.g., June 2022) due to insufficient initial response before the final cohort of 25 was selected. Applications are now permanently closed; the program's page invites interested parties to subscribe to a newsletter for updates.
- Selection process
Eligible applicants (meeting age, residency, and income criteria) were entered into a random lottery/randomized controlled trial administered by the Center for Guaranteed Income Research (CGIR); 25 participants were randomly selected to receive payments, with the RCT design supporting comparison against a control group for research purposes.
