Committee forwards ordinance to exempt guaranteed-income pilot payments from CAP benefit calculations

The Budget and Finance Committee on Sept. 6 voted to forward to the full Board an ordinance to amend the Administrative Code so that payments from guaranteed-income pilot programs do not count against eligibility or benefit levels for housed participants in the County Adult Assistance Programs (CAP).

San Francisco Human Services Agency Deputy Director Susie Smith told the committee the change is intended to ensure guaranteed-income pilots function as supplemental support rather than a replacement for the safety net. HSA recently won a state grant to administer a guaranteed-income pilot for 150 youth transitioning from foster care and juvenile justice, Smith said, and the ordinance would prevent a young participant from having to choose between CAP benefits and guaranteed-income support.

Supervisor Asha Safai and others praised the proposal as a timely policy to support pilot participants and requested the measure be advanced to the full Board. The committee forwarded the ordinance by unanimous vote.

The full Board will consider the ordinance, which is designed to preserve CAP eligibility and related supportive services for participants in guaranteed-income pilots.