The "Youth Homelessness Guaranteed Income Pilot Program Act of 2025" establishes a pilot program to provide housing assistance and guaranteed income to homeless youth aged 18-29 in order to study the effects of direct cash transfers on housing stability, economic outcomes, and overall well-being.
Rashida Tlaib
Representative
MI-12
The Youth Homelessness Guaranteed Income Pilot Program Act of 2025 establishes a program to provide housing assistance and guaranteed income to homeless youth aged 18-29. The program will select up to 105,000 participants from a newly created database and provide them with housing navigation, financial coaching, and monthly cash payments for 36 months. A study will be conducted to assess the program's impact on participants' housing, health, and economic outcomes, as well as the feasibility of expanding the program nationwide. The Act also creates a National Youth Economic Advisory Council to advise the Secretary of Health and Human Services on program implementation and evaluation.
Bill Proposes $1,400+ Monthly Guaranteed Income Pilot for Homeless Youth Aged 18-29
This legislation, the "Youth Homelessness Guaranteed Income Pilot Program Act of 2025," lays the groundwork for a significant test: providing direct cash payments and support services to young adults experiencing homelessness. The core idea is to see if a guaranteed income can help stabilize housing and improve outcomes for individuals aged 18-29 without a place to call home. The program aims to select up to 105,000 participants for a 36-month period.
How the Pilot Would Work
The plan starts with creating a database of homeless individuals nationwide within two years, specifically excluding citizenship or immigration status details (Sec. 4(b)). From this database, participants aged 18-29 (or emancipated minors) will be selected, focusing on those in low-income areas and ensuring the group reflects the diversity of the youth homeless population. Critically, citizenship status won't be a barrier to selection (Sec. 4(b)(2)).
Once selected, participants receive a bundle of support for three years, including help finding housing, financial coaching, job training resources, and education on tenant rights (Sec. 4(c)(1)). The key experiment involves cash: participants will be randomly split, with one group receiving monthly payments. This payment is set at the greater of $1,400 or the local fair market rent for a 2-bedroom place in their ZIP code (Sec. 4(c)(3)). Participants get choices on how they receive the money (direct deposit, debit card, etc.) and can even opt for the first year's payments as a lump sum (Sec. 4(c)(3)(D)).
Studying the Results and Protecting Participants
This is explicitly a pilot program designed to generate data. The bill mandates a study, run by an external partner with expertise in cash-transfer programs, to track the impacts (Sec. 5). Researchers will look at housing stability, financial health, physical and mental well-being, and whether this approach could realistically be scaled up nationwide. Think of it as a large-scale field test to see what works.
Importantly, the bill includes protections. Receiving these payments won't kick participants off other federal or state aid programs, nor will the cash count as taxable income (Sec. 4(e)). Strict privacy rules govern the data collected, with penalties for unauthorized disclosure (Sec. 4(d)). A National Youth Economic Advisory Council, including representatives from relevant government agencies, nonprofits, and formerly homeless youth, will advise on running the program effectively (Sec. 6).