Brookline Ends Guaranteed Income Pilot for 53 Residents

The year-long program delivered $750 monthly payments to public housing residents and is not being extended with new funding.

Updated on Nov. 8, 2026 in Civic Engagement

Brookline Ends Guaranteed Income Pilot for 53 Residents

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Should local governments fund direct cash payments to low-income residents?

UpTogether Brookline ended its year-long guaranteed income pilot, which gave 53 public housing residents $750 per month for 12 months. The program was run by the Brookline Community Foundation, Brookline Housing Authority and the nonprofit UpTogether, and its checks will not continue.

Why it matters

The pilot tested whether direct monthly payments could help public housing residents stabilize finances and build savings. Because the program has no extended funding, residents will no longer receive the payments, and its outcomes will shape local discussion of similar efforts.

The pilot enrolled 53 residents who received $750 each month for 12 months, and 60% of participants increased their community engagement. Whether these gains persist after the final payment is not yet known.

The players

UpTogether

UpTogether is a nonprofit organization that works to support guaranteed income programs in communities across the United States.

Brookline Housing Authority

The Brookline Housing Authority is the local public agency that manages public housing in Brookline and ran the Self Sufficiency Program that delivered the payments.

Brookline Community Foundation

The Brookline Community Foundation is a local philanthropic organization that co-ran the pilot and provided an additional grant to fund it.

The details

The guaranteed payments were embedded in a Self Sufficiency Program run by the Brookline Housing Authority, which offers multiple years of coaching and asset building. Housing was the most important spending category for participants, and everyone behind on rent at the start caught up on those payments.

October 2025: 53 residents received the first $750 pilot payment.
September 2026: Participants received the final income program check.
November 2026: The end-of-program event 'Together We Rise' was held.

Civic Engagement Context

Brookline's pilot applies the UpTogether guaranteed income model to public housing residents, testing direct cash payments as a tool for local financial stability. Its results will add to the evidence base that cities weigh when deciding whether to fund similar programs.

Residents who received the $750 monthly payments will no longer get them now that the pilot has ended without extended funding. Participants who saved over $1,000 received a Brookline Housing Authority matching check, and those who paid off or cancelled a credit card received a financial bonus.

The takeaway

Direct monthly payments can help residents catch up on rent and build savings, but lasting gains depend on whether support continues after the program ends. Readers following local policy can track future funding decisions for similar programs in Brookline.