LOS ANGELES — Guaranteed income programs are typically monthly payouts given unconditionally to people who apply. This poverty-fighting tool is popping up across the country.

What You Need To Know

  • BREATHE, Los Angeles County's Guaranteed Income Program, just expanded to include some former foster children

  • Guillermo Bonilla, 21, was one of 200 selected to receive $1,000 per month for the next two years

  • There are similar state-funded Guaranteed Income Pilot Programs, but advocates worry this money doesn’t adequately address the affordable housing problem

  • A bill that would have helped support investment in housing for those aging out of foster care was recently defeated

Transitioning into adulthood is hard for everyone. It's especially challenging if you have no family to fall back on, which is the case for many kids as they age out of the foster care system. Aid is needed to ensure these young adults don't fall through the cracks into homelessness.

Guillermo Bonilla, 21, who grew up in foster care and then became homeless, wants better for his son, Guillermo Jr., who just turned two years old.

"I just want the best for him, which I am going to give him the best," he said. "I just want him to grow up as a happy young kid."

He found some help from BREATHE, Los Angeles County's Guaranteed Income Program. It recently expanded to include a few former foster kids. Bonilla now gets an extra $1,000 monthly for the next two years.

Similar projects promising paychecks have gained steam over the years, so much so there's a new focus on this vulnerable group. California also launched two state-funded Guaranteed Income Pilot Programs to help former Ventura County and San Francisco foster youth.

Franco Vega is someone who's been pushing for this. He was orphaned as a teenager. He later founded The RightWay Foundation. They help people like Bonilla to secure employment and housing.

"It's some money, but it's not enough... I want our folks to take it a step further and guarantee low rent," Vega said.

Vega is working to ensure this money source doesn't dry up at the end of the two years, but he had hoped for more assistance from the state legislature. A promising bill that would have helped support investment in housing for those aging out of foster care was recently defeated. Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo introduced AB 963. Through a spokesperson, her office released a statement to Spectrum News:

"Unfortunately, it died in the Assembly Appropriations Committee due to costs. Challenges remain to finance affordable housing for former foster youth. During the Fall, our office will be researching alternatives for consideration in 2024."

"Two former foster youth are becoming homeless every day —two a day and I don't think people are paying attention to that," said Vega.

It's not just his own son Bonilla worries about. He has three brothers and three sisters; most of his siblings are still in foster care. While some helpful programs exist, many are pilots and aren't forever.

"It can be scary because I would want my brothers and sisters to receive the help that I received and I just feel like that the system needs to step up a couple notches," Bonilla said.

LA County's expanded Guaranteed Income Program randomly selected 200 qualifying former Department of Children and Family Services foster youth. Bonilla and the other recipients started receiving checks in August.