- An Urban Institute evaluation of a direct cash pilot program in D.C. found that the program helped hundreds of low-income D.C. families improve food security. Four nonprofits in D.C. launched the program, called THRIVE East of the River, in 2020 soon after the pandemic began. It gave $5,500 with no-strings-attached to approximately 600 families in Ward 8, where the median income is $40,000, under half the Districtwide median. After receiving the cash payments, 19 percent reported they sometimes or often did not have enough to eat, down from 34 percent before the cash payments. The participants also reported notably better mental health than other people with low incomes, both nationally and in D.C. (Report here)
February 28, 2022
Inequities and SDOH