LA City Council Approves $2M Guaranteed Income Pilot for Domestic Violence Survivors, Foster Youth

The Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved a $2 million guaranteed income pilot program called Supporting Transitional-Aged Youth and Survivors in Achieving Financial Empowerment (STAY SAFE) to aid survivors of domestic violence and transitional-aged foster youth. The program will provide $1,000 monthly payments over two years to 83 eligible participants, primarily current or former foster youth aged 16 to 24 and individuals recovering from partner violence. Building on the success of the previous Basic Income Guaranteed: Los Angeles Economic Assistance Pilot (BIG:LEAP), which helped over 3,000 low-income households with similar payments and showed reductions in domestic violence rates, STAY SAFE will also incorporate job training through the Hospitality Training Academy to enhance employment prospects. The initiative is led by Councilmembers Curren Price and Hugo Soto-Martinez and administered by the Community Investment for Families Department in collaboration with 22 community organizations. Researchers from UCLA and the University of Pennsylvania have studied BIG:LEAP’s impact, finding positive social outcomes, reinforcing the case for expanding guaranteed income programs. The city aims to increase participant numbers if additional funding becomes available, continuing a broader trend of guaranteed income pilots across the U.S.