I grew up in San Francisco kind of shaky and edgy. My mom struggled to keep up with our financial well-being. As a result, my brothers, sister, and I lived with different family members and spent time in foster care. There was a lot of normal kid stuff I wanted to do that I didn’t get to do, like going camping. We spent our holidays watching other kids through windows, playing with their toys and running around in their new outfits. My mom, like most moms, did her best. But it was rough, and it took a toll.

When I was 23, my son was born. But I was not able to be the parent I wanted to be for the first six years of his life. In 2020, when my daughter was born, it felt like a second chance. I wanted to get my own place, find a good job, and reconnect with my family. I wanted to look my grandmother in the eye and tell her how much she means to me and build a relationship with my son. But finding a home in San Francisco, where it takes four minimum-wage jobs to afford a 2-bedroom apartment, was impossible. I was sleeping on couches, showering at my mom’s house when I could.

I made a promise to myself that I would not let my daughter’s life coming up be anything like mine -- that was my driving force. We were walking out of the Public Library the first time I saw the sign for Compass Family Services on Grove Street. Compass helped me and my daughter cover our bases -- food, diapers, wipes. Hamilton Families provided us with a housing subsidy and helped me find my first stable home at the age of 34 -- a two-bedroom apartment in Antioch. My daughter has her own room, she has a place to put a few toys, a few books. It’s not fancy but it’s a blessing that has motivated me even more.

So, when the opportunity came my way to participate in a guaranteed basic income (GBI) pilot that both Hamilton and Compass were leading - I jumped at the chance.

The program provides 225 families who have recently experienced homelessness in San Francisco with $1,000 a month for a year. No strings attached. Just spend the money as I need it and participate in the research to help us all understand if $1,000 per month for a year will help create housing stability for the long term.

For now, the $1,000 allows me to cover the essentials and be the kind of dad I always wanted to be. The kind who takes his daughter to Paw Patrol Live on a Sunday or buys a book for his son when he passes a bookstore. But with my housing subsidy coming to an end, it’s going to continue to allow me to breathe, it already has.

My income from being a caretaker for my grandmother and my side job doing manual labor will cover my rent, but without the $1,000 monthly stipend, I’d be left wondering where my daughter’s next meal would come from, how I would pay for gas to visit my son or get to work. Instead, the $1,000 of GBI, and the trust that comes with it is saying, “stay focused, keep going.”

I can already feel the difference in my mindset. When I was couch surfing, stress and anxiety were my constant reality. Now, with a home and this additional income, I can look to the future. It’s not just a lifeline, it’s helping me dream of a better job and a bigger place that has room for my son to visit. It’s giving me confidence as a parent to connect more deeply with my kids, allowing me to pay my bills, and prioritize my time -- it has added to my ambition.

I know the $1,000 is going to go away; this is a pilot, not a program. I also know this has been tested and tried all over the country, and the research shows that GBI works. I’m proud to be a part of something that will hopefully lead not to another pilot - but to long-lasting programs and policies that will make my story a reality for thousands of others.

Because as much as I enjoyed being a kid again with my daughter at Paw Patrol Live, the very best part of my day was hearing her say, “Daddy, I’m ready to go home,” and putting her to bed in her very own room.

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