PRESS RELEASE

Long Beach, CA – The City of Long Beach today launched a Request for Proposals (RFP), seeking qualified vendors to implement and administer the Long Beach Guaranteed Income Pilot Program (Pilot), a pilot program that will provide a select number of Long Beach families living at or below the poverty line and residing in the 90813 zip code, which has the highest concentration of families living in poverty within the city, the opportunity to receive up to $500 a month for 12 months. Eligible organizations are encouraged to submit proposals through the City’s Vendor Portal, PlanetBids, by 11 p.m. (PST) on March 7, 2022.

The selected vendors shall provide for the partial implementation and administration of the Pilot including but not limited to: creating and operating a digital payment solution to pay Pilot participants, creating and maintaining a Pilot website/portal, providing financial counseling services and identifying potential funding for the expansion and/or sustainment of the program.  

Each interested vendor must meet a specific set of criteria. Specific details related to project scope areas, eligibility requirements and submission instructions are available at PlanetBids. The City also has developed an instructional video  on the registration process. 

The 90813 zip code was identified by a Community Working Group that reviewed economic research and best practices from other municipalities and determined that the 90813 zip code had the highest need in terms of COVID-19 impact and poverty rates. Families participating in the Pilot will be eligible to receive up to $500 a month for 12 months while participating in a research study conducted by academic partners. Focusing direct payments in the area of the city with the highest concentration of poverty will allow for the greatest potential for community impact and will provide documentable results that can be included within the national experiment and research currently underway throughout the United States.

This program is made possible by the Long Beach Recovery Act, a plan to fund economic and public health initiatives for Long Beach residents, workers and businesses critically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of $51 million has been allocated to support Economic Recovery which includes $1.6 million for a Guaranteed Income program and its evaluation. Additional information about the Long Beach Recovery Act is available at longbeach.gov/recovery.

Media inquiries can be directed to Lucius Martin, Special Project Officer, Long Beach Department of Economic Development, 562.570.3678 or lucius.martin@pacific-gateway.org.