California lawmakers recently proposed a bill that would grant $1,000 per month in guaranteed income to the state’s homeless high school seniors.
Senate Bill 333, introduced on Feb. 7 by state Sen. Dave Cortese (D-San Jose), would provide the funds through establishing a guaranteed income pilot program called Success, Opportunity, & Academic Resilience (SOAR).
There are roughly 270,000 homeless youths across the state—about 15,000 of whom are high school seniors, according to a 2020 report from the University of California–Los Angeles.
Under the program, students who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence would receive five monthly installments of $1,000 from April to August 2024.
The program is intended only for the class of 2024, according to the bill, but could be extended.
Cortese said in a statement the day he introduced the bill that his goal is to help cover students’ needs as they take a step toward college or a career.
He cited a 2022 survey by the nonprofit SchoolHouse Connection, which reported that more than 90 percent of homeless youth identified career goals that required education beyond high school—but only 16 percent said they believed they would be able to attend or graduate college within the next five years.
“We must stop graduating 15,000 high school students into homelessness each year,” Cortese said in the statement. “These payments, made with no-strings-attached, enable students to cover basic needs so they may take crucial steps toward college or career.”
Teri Olle, California campaign director of the Economic Security Project—a network that advocates for basic universal income—echoed Cortese’s sentiments in a Feb. 7 statement.
“Inflation, rising student debt, and a state-wide housing crisis are only a few of the many issues facing young people as they enter the workforce or go off to college. But for the 15,000 California high school seniors experiencing homelessness, just getting on a promising path is nearly impossible.
“Helping young adults during the crucial transition from high school to college or career allows them to clear away obstacles and position themselves to create the life they want,” Olle said.
The bill is a re-introduction of state Senate Bill 1341, also introduced by Cortese last year. Though it died in the Assembly, it was incorporated as a $35 million pilot program in the 2021–22 state budget.
The proposed program also builds on a 2020 pilot program Cortese created as a Santa Clara County supervisor that guaranteed income for transition-age foster youth.
The bill is expected to be heard at the state Senate Education Committee on March 29.
