Young Adult Louisville Income for Transformation (YALift!)
YALift! (Young Adult Louisville Income for Transformation) was a guaranteed income pilot led by Metro United Way in partnership with Mayors for a Guaranteed Income (MGI), Louisville Metro Government, Russell: A Place of Promise, and YouthBuild Louisville. Launched in 2022, the single-cohort pilot provided 151 young adults ages 18-24 living in the Smoketown, Russell, and California neighborhoods (areas of concentrated poverty) with $500 per month for 12 months, totaling $6,000 per participant with no strings attached. The program was funded through private/philanthropic support raised by Metro United Way. It included a research and evaluation component intended to measure impacts on financial stability and wellbeing.
Guaranteed Income, Young Adults, MGI, Direct Cash Assistance, Areas of Concentrated Poverty
Headquarters
- Organization Name
- Metro United Way
- City
- Louisville
- State / Province
- Kentucky
- Country
- United States
Contact
- Phone
- +1 502 583 2821
- Social media links
Status & Funding
- Organization status
- Active
- Program status
- Inactive
- Application status
- Timed
- Number of recipients
- 151
- Funding type
- Nonprofit, Philanthropic
Benefits
- Currency Type
- Fiat
- Currency
- USD
- Total Amount
- 6,000 USD
- Avg. Per Month
- 500 USD
- Payment frequency
- Monthly
- How long the program lasts
- 12 months
- Benefit details
Participants received $500 per month for 12 consecutive months, totaling $6,000, with no restrictions on how funds could be used. Metro United Way reports that recipients were three times more likely to be able to afford a $400 emergency expense, 32% more likely to report working full time, and 70% less likely to have been evicted, compared to before the pilot. The single cohort ran from 2022 through early 2023.
Eligibility
Overview
- Eligibility details
Eligible participants were young adults ages 18-24 living in the Smoketown, Russell, or California neighborhoods of Louisville, Kentucky, which are designated areas of concentrated poverty. No additional published income, employment, or family-status eligibility criteria were identified. The pilot served one closed cohort and is not currently accepting applicants.
Demographics
- Minimum age
- 18
- Maximum age
- 24
Geography
- US states covered
- Kentucky
- Countries covered
- United States
- Cities covered
- Louisville
- Counties covered
- Jefferson
- Residency of Target Geography
- Yes
Participation
- Research / data sharing
- Required
- Research / participation requirements
Program evaluation reportedly conducted with research partner Abt Associates (per program sponsor materials), though a distinct published Abt evaluation report was not located during this research pass. Metro United Way's own published results indicate recipients were 3x more likely to afford a $400 emergency expense, 32% more likely to report full-time employment, and 70% less likely to have experienced eviction versus baseline.
