HIGHLIGHTS
- Alexandria, VA, launched a two-year guaranteed income pilot to determine if it will help people who can’t make ends meet, even if they’re employed.
- Abt is using mixed methods to evaluate the program (which is called ARISE).
- Final results will be available in 2026.
PROJECT
MGI Alexandria; Guaranteed Income Research & Evaluation
The Challenge
Rising income inequality has left many residents of Alexandria, VA, struggling to make ends meet, including many who are working. To determine how best to support them, the city of Alexandria launched a pilot to provide select residents who earn less than 50 percent of the area median income with a guaranteed income. The project, Alexandria Recurring Income for Success and Equity (ARISE), will provide 170 residents with $500 a month for two years.
The Approach
Abt is using mixed methods to evaluate ARISE: participants were selected at random from all eligible applicants. Abt periodically surveys participants and a control group (comprised of eligible applicants) throughout the two years of the pilot. Abt will also do an ethnographic study by working one-on-one with participants through interviews and long-term, in-depth research with a subset of single parents.
The Results
Final results will be available in 2026. Learn more about the project here.
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