Brief Summary | July 2025

Federal tax policy plays a central role in shaping economic security for low income households. Yet current Child Tax Credit design leaves many families with insufficient and unstable support. In Compton, California, the Jain Family Institute, the Fund for Guaranteed Income and the Office of Mayor Aja Brown launched the Compton Pledge, a two year guaranteed income pilot providing $300 to $600 per month to 800 families. Designed as a randomized control trial, the pilot tested policy reforms inspired by the 2021 expansion of the Child Tax Credit. This brief reviews evidence from the Compton Pledge, demonstrating that more flexible and inclusive cash supports increased work and earnings and offering clear guidance for future Child Tax Credit policy design.

Brief No. 1 Summary | August 2024

Housing is a human right. But, in America, 1 in every 500 people is without housing. California – and LA in particular – is the epicenter of this crisis. Research has shown the main barrier to housing in California is the cost of rent. This brief reviews the evidence behind cash transfer programs as a path to addressing the diverse drivers of the housing crisis.

See our pilot database.

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Brief No. 2 Summary | September 2024

Wondering what the housing choice voucher system is? Within the country’s largest housing assistance program, the Housing Choice Voucher program, the cash transfer movement is being realized through Direct Rental Assistance models that provide assistance directly to tenants and trust them to pay 100% of their rent to landlords.

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