DAP Health and Queer Works Receive Support from City of Palm Springs to Research and Design a Guaranteed Income Pilot
Two nonprofit organizations are partnering to study best practices of successful initiatives nationwide and design pilot program.
PALM SPRINGS, CA (MARCH 30, 2022) – On Thursday, March 24th, the Palm Springs City Council unanimously approved the request of local nonprofit organizations DAP Health and Queer Works for $200,000 in funding to support the initial research and program design of a guaranteed income pilot program. The objective of the pilot program will be to provide direct financial assistance to marginalized local individuals in need for a likely period of 18 months.
The initial financial support from the City of Palm Springs will enable the two organizations to study best practices of successful initiatives nationwide, conduct local research, and gain local input to inform their design process. The organizations are also receiving pilot design guidance from the national agency Mayors for a Guaranteed Income (MGI).
The potential guaranteed income pilot’s research and design phase is expected to last up to six months. One of the key outcomes of this phase will be a proposal that the two organizations will use to engage potential government and philanthropic financial underwriters for the pilot, including the State of California. The current state budget includes $35 million in funding for guaranteed income pilot programs. The California Department of Social Services is in the process of finalizing their funding criteria and is expected to issue their formal request for applications in the next several months. They have preliminarily indicated that a 50% funding match from other donors will be required.
“Based on the early success of other guaranteed income pilots around the country and state – including Stockton, San Diego, San Francisco, L.A., and West Hollywood – we’re eager to pilot this approach here,” said David Brinkman, CEO of DAP Health. “Helping people in need to better their life circumstances by directly providing them with income is an approach that’s showing great promise.”
“We hope that the pilot we design will inspire the City of Palm Springs to join together with DAP Health and other funders to bring significant state funding to Palm Springs,” Brinkman continued. “Our goal is to develop a model that impacts the greatest number of individuals possible. We hope our pilot will help confirm that guaranteed income is a cost-effective way to create positive outcomes.”
While the research and design phase for this pilot is now at the starting line and most specifics have yet to be determined, DAP Health and Queer Works have already indicated their intent to prioritize support for local individuals who are Transgender and Non-Binary.
“People who are Trans and Non-Binary are highly marginalized in our society in general, especially economically,” said Jacob Rostowsky, CEO of Queer Works. A recent study by McKinsey & Company confirmed that Transgender adults are twice as likely as cisgender adults to be unemployed, and Transgender individuals who are employed make 32% less money than their cisgender counterparts – even with similar education levels.
About DAP Health
DAP Health is an advocacy-based health
DAP Health opened one of California’s first COVID clinics and hotlines to offer screening, testing, and treatment. DAP Health is also working to address social determinants of health that are causing negative health outcomes during this pandemic, like food and housing insecurity, joblessness, isolation, and access to ongoing health care.
DAP Health’s sexual health clinic offers STI testing and treatment, Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP), and HIV and HCV testing. DAP has earned Charity Navigator’s highest rating for the twelfth consecutive year – landing DAP Health in the top 6% of nonprofits rated. The distinction recognizes that DAP exceeds industry standards in terms of financial health, accountability, and transparency.
Visit www.daphealth.org to
About Queer Works
Queer Works, a 501c (3) organization with headquarters in the Coachella Valley, works towards ameliorating disparities faced by members of the LGBTQ+ community in Southern California. We are especially focused on those who are homeless, impoverished, and in need of access to mental health and medical services. In July of 2021, we launched the “TransPower Project”, which gives completely free therapy and housing navigation services to the transgender and non-binary community. Visit www.queerworks.org to learn more.