Launched November 2020.

Richmond’s guaranteed income pilot program, the Richmond Resilience Initiative (RRI), was a collaboration between the City of Richmond and the Robins Foundation. RRI partnered with CGIR to conduct a non-experimental research study designed to understand how the livelihoods of 18 working families who no longer qualify for benefits assistance, but still do not make a living wage, would change when receiving extra unconditional $500 per month for 24 months. The 18 participating families were chosen through a drawing from the current client list of the Office of Community Wealth Building, the workforce development and economic mobility agency created at the recommendation of the 2011 Richmond Anti-Poverty Commission. This research aimed to generate actionable insights and policy recommendations for tackling the cliff effect phenomenon. The cliff effect happens when a household’s income increases above the income eligibility for benefits, but is still not enough to support the family’s needs. Thus, the household struggles to attain economic mobility and is prone to economic vulnerability.