Guaranteed Basic Income Transformed the Lives of Local Families

Photo of Guaranteed Basic Income (GBI) program participants, the Guthrie family, at an outing

Fresno County implemented a pivotal, systematic poverty reduction strategy for historically impoverished regions with the Guaranteed Basic Income (GBI) program.

From July 2024 to June 2025, 150 families residing in the 93234 and 93706 zip codes with incomes at 80 percent or below the median level for their area of residence, received $500 monthly stipends. The money was awarded to parents and caregivers with children age five or younger and/or who were pregnant — through a lottery system. 

The GBI program design was based on Stockton’s Economic Empowerment Demonstration (SEED) that launched in 2019, with philanthropic funding at the behest of then-Mayor Michael Stubbs, as one of the first pilot programs. 

Fresno was the first city to implement the program in both urban — Southwest Fresno — and rural — Huron — areas. The city was denied funding after applying for the state-run guaranteed income pilot program. The Central Valley Community Foundation’s Fresno DRIVE initiative then provided revenue, along with numerous other donors including The California Wellness Foundation, The California Endowment, The James Irvine Foundation, Kresge Foundation, Delta Dental Community Care Foundation, Sierra Health Foundation, The James B. McClatchy Foundation, and Mayors for a Guaranteed Income, and Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission (EOC) administered the program. 

The $500 monthly stipends were largely used for necessities such as groceries, debt payoffs, and utilities and did not result in job resignations. “The recipients’ employment status did not significantly change. People did not quit their jobs,” said Andy Levine, co-director of the Center for Community Voices initiative. “This money wasn’t a replacement for earned income from wages; it was creating more of a floor for them. The bottom line is that people don’t get paid enough.” 

Ultimately, the guaranteed income strengthened families and paved the way for parental success. “The program made abundantly clear how highly parents prioritize their kids,” said Professor Amber Crowell, a Fresno State sociology professor and co-director of the Center for Community Voices initiative, who led the GBI program evaluation. “Parents were exhausted at having to tell their children ‘no.’” Due to the monthly stipends, parents were able to spend more time with their children and brainstormed how they could use the funds to improve their children’s lives. Moreover, participating in the program improved the participants’ feelings about their parental roles, rating their parenting as good or excellent. 

GBI proved to be transformational for many of the recipient families. The Guthrie family saw life-changing outlooks for their health, career, and overall economic trajectories.

Chad Guthrie, a father of five, scheduled routine dental and medical exams for the first time in 20 years — thanks to the additional income — and received an early cancer diagnosis and was successfully treated. “I’m incredibly grateful to share that I am now four months cancer-free, a milestone I attribute directly to the stability provided by this program,” Chad said. “Without it, I would not have sought the medical checkups that saved my life.”

The income flexibility also enabled Chad to enroll at Fresno City College to pursue his dream of becoming an underwater welder. In the past year, he earned certifications in welding, safety, and precision measurements and completed a variety of classes in everything from accounting to truck driving. He now holds a commercial driver’s license and intends to soon complete his final semester of advanced welding. Chad was motivated by his eldest son, who initiated Chad’s interest in underwater welding, through his own identical career aspiration. “Now, I hope to inspire my son by proving what is possible through dedication,” he said.

The GBI program also helped alleviate stress during a particularly difficult time for the Guthrie family, when faced with a wrongful eviction and the loss of Chad’s beloved mother-in-law. Thanks to the GBI program, Chad was connected to the city eviction program and received legal representation, which helped the family avoid home displacement. Without the monthly stipend, the Guthrie family would have potentially faced homelessness.   

“This program has given me invaluable time with my children and the foundation to secure their futures,” Chad said. “My goal is to leave my family with property that serves as a generational home — a place they can always return to regardless of life's challenges. I have accomplished more during and since this pilot program than at any other point in my life, and I hope others receive the same opportunity to create lasting change.”

To learn more about the success of the GBI program, read the Advancing Fresno County Guaranteed Income Evaluation Report written by Professor Crowell and Rafael Moto here. Stay informed by reading the monthly DRIVE newsletter and follow DRIVE on Instagram @fresnodrive for updates on the future of the GBI program.