Economic Mobility Pilot distributes cash payments
Randomly selected lower-income households in Fairfax County are receiving cash payments as part of a pilot program to promote economic mobility.
The Economic Mobility Pilot is distributing monthly payments of $750 to 180 families that that earn more than the federal poverty level but less than the basic cost of living in Fairfax County.
The families can use the cash for whatever they need. The pilot also includes optional financial wellness training and workforce development coaching.
Karla Bruce, who recently retired as Fairfax County’s chief equity officer, gave an update on the program to the Board of Supervisors’ Health and Human Services Committee on Oct. 15.
Direct, unrestricted cash payments to targeted households reduce financial instability and provide a pathway to upward mobility and prosperity, Bruce said.
Among the households selected for the pilot, 33 percent live in the Mount Vernon area, 17 percent live in Bailey’s Crossroads, and 12 percent live in Annandale. The rest are in Sully, Springfield, Herndon, and Reston.
Forty percent of the households are Hispanic/Latino, 25 percent are Black, and 13 percent are Asian.
According to the United Way, 23 percent of Fairfax County households are walking a financial tightrope. They’re earning between 150 percent and 250 percent of the federal poverty limit, but one unexpected bill or emergency could lead to financial hardship and poverty.
The pilot focuses on what the United Way refers to as ALICE households: Asset Limited (no safety net in times of crisis), Income Constrained (their income falls short of the cost of essentials), and Employed (working yet not earning enough). The participants must have at least one child under 16 living at home.
The program started in October 2023 and will end this December. The funds come from the American Recovery Plan Act and the county’s Human Services Council’s Innovation Fund.
George Mason University is conducting a research study of the Economic Mobility Pilot to understand the impact of unrestricted cash payments on the economic and social well-being of working households. Preliminary findings are expected to be issued in spring 2025.
14 responses to “Economic Mobility Pilot distributes cash payments”
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Where does the other 22% of the $1.6 million annual payout go to?
Please..just call it ,”giving my money to someone else” like it is…and the Fairfax DEI (another waste of my money) person commented that these payments help people not work two jobs. What’s wrong with working two jobs to climb the economic ladder? I did it for about 40 years and like my results.
Dear Mark, define DEI for us.. Also, your statement/rant makes lots of assumptions.
While it’s commendable that you found success working two jobs, it’s important to recognize that not everyone wants to or even can sustain that lifestyle. Many individuals working multiple jobs face significant stress, burnout, and a lack of time for family, personal interests, and self-care. Instead of viewing this as a viable path to success, we should question the systemic issues that make such sacrifices necessary in the first place. You “give your money to someone else” all the time through taxes that pay for public education, social security, medicare & medicaid, public libraries, infrastructure, unemployment insurance, food assistance programs, and public parks & recreation.
These examples show that while hard work is important, it’s not the only determinant of success. A balanced approach that includes systemic support can create a more equitable society where everyone has the opportunity to thrive without the burden of working multiple jobs. Instead of glorifying overwork, we should advocate for policies that support a healthier work-life balance and ensure basic needs are met for all individuals.
I appreciate your sentiment and recognize your perspective. I disagree that taxpayers have any responsibility to give some folks money to avoid stress, burnout, and a lack of time for family, personal interests, and self-care. I wanted to have those things and have worked extra to have the means (money) to have some of them and other things/stuff too. It took sacrifice and still does. It is asinine that my extra efforts are now penalized to pay for others to have those same things when they to can make the difficult choices and put in the effort to obtain them. Being alive and having children doesn’t entitle anyone to extra government money. As to paying taxes, that is supposed to be for “common goods” that are widely beneficial- such as police, fire, roads, public education. This policy & program is none of those.
Very well put. The concept behind equitable is seriously flawed.
I think a lot of people misunderstand that equitable and equal are not the same thing.
If you asked a short person and a tall person to reach for something on a tall shelf and one is able to reach it just fine, but the shorter person can’t, then it’s equitable to provide a step ladder or chair for the person to obtain that same goal. Giving a ladder to both people is equal.
If someone is bleeding and needs a band-aid, giving them one is equitable. Providing everyone with the band-aid regardless of whether they are bleeding or not is equal, but again superfluous.
If we recognize these two scenarios as stand-ins for participating in society and capitalism, then we are left with two options: 1) Provide care and support for vulnerable members of society, or 2) Let them sink with little to no recourse for economic mobility. This boils down to a care for people or a care for the system. Both are valid viewpoints, but come with their own baggage. I have a hard time seeing people who live in the richest country in the world deal with easily fixable solutions. I’m not saying someone who favors the system is a bad person, but I disagree with their perspective.
This is a great program. I’ve heard this sort of thing makes a huge difference in people’s lives and doesn’t require a million hoops for the providers or recipients to jump through, and results in long-term improvements in outcomes for these families. Data from this experimental program will inform best practices in the future.
When you hear the term “equity” in government programs, the goal is equal outcomes not equal opportunity, so yes – they are being “”Robin Hood” by taking from those that have some more and giving it to those that don’t have as much to reach for equal outcomes. Equal opportunity includes the chance to succeed or fail because of your given knowledge, skills, abilities and hard work. Equal opportunity lets each of us get the chance to have “our shot” at success. The way Fairfax county and our government picks winners and losers in using our tax dollars instead of core services is disgusting. Remember that when you vote. If you don’t vote then hush, because you get what others want and decide because they do vote.
What group makes up the other 60% of the study? Why are they not included in the program?
All of you folks that love this program…take the money out of your wallet. Your arguments are friviolous…not my job to improve anyone’s life…I’ll always help with a hand up…not a hand out.
I don’t have to love the program. Please define your hand up vs hand out. Before you answer I’ll acknlowledge it’s not your job to help others as you’re not being paid to HELP others. Also curious what are the last six “hand ups” have you done in the last six months?
it’s welfare; dressing it up w contemporary names or definitions doesn’t change that it’s giving money away wout earning it. Unbridled distribution of tax payer money caused NYC to go bankrupt in the 1970s. Fairfax needs to look at history before taking a fast lane exit to economic annihilation.
I consider myself liberal, but I don’t love that the county is using my property tax dollars for this when our parks department and libraries are always having to scrimp to save money (or raise fees) even though they’re a tiny portion of our budget. The Fairfax County health and welfare budget is nearly 9x the amount we spend on parks and libraries (11.1% vs. 1.3%). On top of that, our annual property taxes are already nearly double what the rest of VA state residents outside of NOVA pay for similar sized homes.