ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County Executive Calvin Ball today announced Howard County Government, in partnership with the Community Action Council of Howard County (CAC), will launch Phase Two of its transformative Guaranteed Basic Income (GBI) pilot program on July 1, 2026. With Phase Two, the County and CAC aim to establish a new cohort of participants to secure their self-sufficiency and establish a household contingency/reserve fund.
Research shows that innovative GBI programs can transform the lives of families served and that direct, financial support helps families not only stabilize housing and meet immediate needs, but also make longer-term investments in education, employment, and health. As we have seen thus far with the success of Phase One, Howard County’s GBI pilot program is helping uplift our community’s families out of poverty, better their lives, enable them to be more self-sufficient, and promote economic mobility.
Phase One of the GBI pilot program was announced in August 2025, with 20 participating families from Columbia, Laurel, Elkridge, and Savage. Phase One offered participants monthly economic assistance, wrap-around services, and programming sessions from community partners. Families received $1,000 a month for 12 months to prioritize household needs that would ultimately improve overall economic stability.
This past March, CAC began planning Phase Two of the program for new and existing families. Following an open, public recruitment process, CAC will hold a lottery to randomize applicants and begin the eligibility review process. Unlike Phase One, Phase Two of the GBI pilot program will differ in that CAC will provide a monthly income payment of $500 and establish a savings account for participants to receive an additional $500 per month, to the benefit of the client, through a partnership with SECU, a nonprofit financial institution. This Phase Two savings account option will also be offered to the Phase One participants as a method of softening the benefits “cliff” these participants will experience with the termination of the $1,000 monthly income. Phase One participants may opt in to receive $500 for six additional months with $500 going into the same type of account at SECU under the same conditions as described above.
“Phase Two of the Guaranteed Basic Income Pilot Program reflects both innovation and intentionality in how we support families on their path toward long-term stability,” said Tracy Broccolino, President of the Community Action Council of Howard County. “The lessons learned from Phase One reinforced the importance of pairing direct financial support with meaningful financial literacy education and long-term planning tools that help families prepare for success beyond the 12-month pilot period. Our continued focus on households with children under the age of 18 also reflects CAC’s commitment to the two-generation approach to service delivery. By integrating our core services to support both children and their caregivers together, we are helping create stronger pathways toward economic self-sufficiency and lasting family stability.”
To be eligible for Phase Two of the pilot program, families:
- Must live in Howard County for the full duration of the program
- Must have at least one child 17 years old or younger living in the household
- Must not receive income-based housing assistance (such as Housing Choice Voucher, Baltimore Regional Housing Partnership (BRHP), Moderate Income Housing Unit (MIHU) property, or tax credit housing)
- Must have a household income between 150% and 300% of the Federal Poverty Level
- Must be willing to meet with CAC staff monthly
- Must be willing to complete a financial literacy program by June 2027
- Must be able to provide documentation to confirm eligibility, if selected
Eligible families can apply to participate through Friday, May 29, 2026, by visiting: https://cac-hc.org/gbi2/.
The GBI pilot program is funded through a $750,000 nonprofit grant provided to CAC approved in the County’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Operating Budget. With the launch of Phase Two, CAC will establish an advisory committee comprised of community stakeholders, including nonprofit organizations, community members, County leadership, program participants, research partners, and financial partners. The committee will focus its efforts on three areas:
- Pilot survey design;
- Developing recommendations for services that can be offered to participants post-pilot to ensure long-term stability; and
- Developing recommendations for long-term sustainability of the GBI Program beyond the availability of this pilot funding.
In addition to creating an advisory committee, CAC will also partner with a local university’s research intern to analyze the data from surveys and focus groups to develop the most impactful offerings for GBI program participants. The intern will also help CAC with determining the efficacy of the new approach to the pilot with the addition of the savings account.
As part of the GBI pilot program, CAC has been collecting qualitative and quantitative data on the success of the program through quarterly surveys of participating families. Survey data includes information on measures such as:
- Quality of life;
- Physical, mental, and emotional well-being;
- Household income;
- Paid and unpaid work;
- Childcare access;
- Impacts on family time;
- Access to healthcare; and
- Any improvements resulting from the program.
Through Phase One of the GBI Program, CAC has collected data and quality of life indicators from program participants to measure progress and impact of the program. CAC’s Impact Survey found that participants reported meaningful improvements in household stability and overall well-being following their participation in the GBI pilot program. Participants noted reduced financial stress and an increased ability to meet essential needs, which can be linked to improved mental well-being, restful sleep, and greater optimism about future stability. Participants also shared that the program helped strengthen family functioning through increased parental presence and quality time, alongside a shift from crisis management toward long-term financial planning, debt reduction, and personal development.
Participants in the pilot program reported they primarily utilized their GBI to:
- Pay down existing debt (78 percent);
- Maintain rent payments (78 percent); and
- Improve employment circumstances (45 percent)
Ultimately, the Impact Survey results suggest upward movement toward economic mobility, as GBI participants leveraged increased financial stability to pursue workforce advancement, education, and long-term career growth. Participants also identified how structural barriers continue to affect their employment advancement, with 44 percent citing limited local employment opportunities, 33 percent referencing skill gaps, and 22 percent reported childcare access remains a persistent challenge.
“When I lost my second job, I honestly did not know what I was going to do to keep everything together for myself and my children,” said Patrice B., GBI Program Participant. “Finding out I had been selected for the Guaranteed Basic Income Pilot Program brought an incredible sense of relief. The support helped me pay down debt, keep up with rising utility and energy bills, and begin building a more stable future for my family. Just as important, the financial literacy workshops gave me tools and confidence that will continue helping me long after the program ends. I feel less overwhelmed, more hopeful about the future, and better able to be present with my children. This program gave me the stability and support to focus not just on getting through each month, but on building a stronger future for my family.”
“The Guaranteed Basic Income Pilot Program was a major blessing for me and my children. I have a 16-year-old son who is on the autism spectrum and an 8-year-old daughter, and we transitioned from Baltimore to Howard County to ensure my son received the appropriate services and support for his diagnosis. It was quite a financial sacrifice for us to move, but I was determined to get my son what he needed,” said Shayla S., GBI Program Participant. “I reached out to the Howard County Department of Community Resources and Services, and they connected me with the Community Action Council of Howard County, where I learned that I qualified for this program. The GBI program helped me catch up on rent, make sure there was food on the table, and handle emergency situations that came up along the way. I truly hope the program continues to grow and provide assistance to other families, especially those who may not qualify for traditional social services but still face significant financial hardships. It was an incredible help to my family, and I sincerely appreciate the support we received.”
“This program has helped create stability for me and my family during a difficult time, especially while dealing with the loss of my mom and managing my health,” said Roslyn T., GBI Program Participant. “It reduced a lot of financial stress and allowed me to focus on my responsibilities and well-being. With the additional support, I’ve been able to keep up with essentials like groceries, bills, and transportation without having to make hard choices between basic needs. It has also helped me make better choices for my health. I want community leaders to understand that programs like this provide more than financial help. They give people stability, dignity, and the ability to keep moving forward during challenging times.”
Following completion of Phases One and Two of the GBI pilot program, CAC anticipates that participants will remain securely housed, increase their household incomes, create a surplus savings and/or investment account to prepare for emergencies, improve budgeting and financial management skills, become connected with higher education and additional job skills with targeted employers, report a sense of community connectedness and pay all household expenses in a timely manner.
Research from other GBI programs across the country has demonstrated the positive impact of these programs on economic self-sufficiency. More than 20 GBI programs nationwide have reported that participants gain employment, improve financial stability, strengthen food and housing security and enjoy better health and family wellbeing. In Baltimore, data from the Baltimore Young Families Success Fund showed that labor force participation among program participants increased over time. Furthermore, systematic reviews of academic research on GBI programs underscore similar outcomes, finding that GBI programs can help reduce poverty, enhance health outcomes and contribute to other positive social outcomes.
About the Community Action Council of Howard County:
For more than 60 years, the CAC has served as Howard County’s designated non-profit anti-poverty organization. As part of a nationwide network of Community Action Agencies, CAC helps hard-working individuals and families overcome economic challenges and achieve lasting self-sufficiency. CAC delivers impact through five core service areas:
- Early Childhood Education (including Head Start and MSDE-funded Pre-K)
- Food Assistance (through the Howard County Food Bank)
- Housing Assistance
- Energy Assistance
- Weatherization Services
To learn more, visit the CAC’s website at www.cac-hc.org.