{"id":8556,"date":"2026-09-06T11:35:08","date_gmt":"2026-09-06T11:35:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=8556"},"modified":"2026-09-06T11:35:08","modified_gmt":"2026-09-06T11:35:08","slug":"san-mateo-county-to-decide-future-of-guaranteed-income-program-for-domestic-violence-survivors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=8556","title":{"rendered":"San Mateo County to decide future of guaranteed income program for domestic violence survivors"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The promise of free money sounded like a stroke of luck for Irasema Ramirez, but she was skeptical.<\/p>\n

Read more They earn $300,000 and pay $1,800 in rent in the Bay Area. Why they can stay in affordable housing<\/a><\/p>\n

For an entire year beginning in June of 2025, San Mateo County would give her $1,000 a month to spend on anything \u2014\u00a0 without having to pay them\u00a0back?<\/p>\n

The 35-year-old, who worked part-time as a caregiver, had never heard of such a thing, let alone for someone in her situation: low-income, supporting four children on her own and navigating life as a survivor of domestic violence.<\/p>\n

But the San Mateo resident\u2019s worries turned to hope when she heard the details. The county had just\u00a0launched a guaranteed income pilot program for 20 domestic violence survivors to help them live independently from their abusers. Ramirez \u2013who was already living separately from her ex-spouse but still relied on him paying child support \u2014 qualified.<\/p>\n

She said all of her monthly stipends from the county went straight to paying off the family\u2019s rent and utilities, and that having another reliable income stream gave her some peace of mind.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wasn\u2019t as stressed as I was before,\u201d she said. \u201cI knew the money was going to be there to pay off the bill for the rent. It was a big sigh of relief.\u201d<\/p>\n

But now, Ramirez can feel the stress creeping back. The program, along with the cash flow, ended in June. In the upcoming weeks, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors is expected to review a study detailing the outcomes of the program and how effective it was at helping participants like Ramirez.<\/p>\n

The study will be compiled by researchers at Stanford University\u2019s John W. Gardner Center for Youth and their Communities. They will look at who the pilot program participants were, how they experienced the program, and if there were any early indicators of their progress towards the program\u2019s goals of long-term safety and self-sufficiency, said Kristin Geiser, deputy director and senior research associate for the center.<\/p>\n

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No decisions have been made regarding future funding for the program, or a study session on the topic, according to county spokesperson Effie Verducci.<\/p>\n

In Dec. 2024, the board of supervisors approved $348,000 to launch the guaranteed income program. The Community Overcoming Relationship Abuse (CORA), a San Mateo-based nonprofit that offers financial, legal and counseling resources for people experiencing domestic violence, was in charge of selecting the pilot\u2019s participants.<\/p>\n

Read more Earthquakes allow goal in second-half stoppage time, settle for 1-1 draw with Austin FC<\/a><\/p>\n

Domestic violence survivors are an ideal recipient group because they face many \u201ccomplex barriers\u201d when trying to leave an abuser, including financial abuse lack of banking and credit, the need for childcare, and high housing and legal costs, Supervisor Noelia Corzo, who co-sponsored the legislation, said in a press release last year.<\/p>\n

In order to qualify for the pilot program participants had to be enrolled in CORA services, have at least one minor child, have an income at or below 30% of the area median income \u2014 $58,750 or less for a family of four, according to San Mateo County\u2019s 2024 income limits \u2014 and either live away from or be in transition to living away from their abuser.<\/p>\n

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The monthly stipend was deposited into a bank account set up by the participant with help from CORA and Community Financial Resources, which is a national economic justice organization. Participants then received a credit card linked to the account which they could use to access the money, according to CORA Community Engagement Coordinator Vanessa Castillo.<\/p>\n

CORA CEO Karen Ferguson said the extra income was able to give participans \u201cbreathing room and the choice of staying safe.\u201d Ferguson said she hopes the community and county will consider backing more financial resources for domestic violence survivors.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven with this amount, $12,000 in a year, compared to the financial reality of life in San Mateo County, it isn\u2019t a lot,\u201d she said. \u201cBut it can empower people to get to another place where they can develop more economic mobility that continues a forward momentum for them.<\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t the county\u2019s first guaranteed income program. In 2023, supervisors greenlit a plan to give current and former foster youth ages 18 up to 22 with $1,000 a month. The program picked 70 eligible young adults to receive the direct deposit for up to 18 months.<\/p>\n

The program wrapped up last year, and a study on its results is expected to come out in the following weeks by the Massachusetts-based Human Services Research Institute, which partnered with the county.<\/p>\n

The county currently has another initiative, called the Baby Bonus pilot program, where 400 eligible parents can receive $300 per month starting from child\u2019s birth until they turn three years old. The program launched last March.<\/p>\n

Read more Horoscopes September 6, 2026: Idris Elba, don\u2019t settle for less than what you want<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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