Community Spring Inc

OUR MISSION IS TO DISMANTLE STRUCTURAL POVERTY AND SPUR ECONOMIC MOBILITY AT A GRASSROOTS LEVEL.

JUST INCOME GNV IS A GUARANTEED INCOME PROJECT IN ALACHUA COUNTY, FLORIDA, PROVIDING TEMPORARY, UNCONDITIONAL MONTHLY PAYMENTS DIRECTLY TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN IMPACTED BY THE JUSTICE SYSTEM - NO STRINGS ATTACHED. THIS TRAILBLAZING PROJECT WAS DESIGNED BY AND IS ADMINISTERED BY FORMERLY INCARCERATED PEOPLE. IN THIS RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL, 115 JUSTICE-IMPACTED PEOPLE WERE RANDOMLY SELECTED FROM OUR APPLICANT POOL TO RECEIVE $1,000 IN THE FIRST MONTH, FOLLOWED BY $600 A MONTH FOR THE NEXT ELEVEN MONTHS. JUST INCOME GNV IS BEING INDEPENDENTLY EVALUATED BY THE CENTER FOR GUARANTEED INCOME RESEARCH AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA AND DR. LUCIUS COULOUTE, PROFESSOR OF SOCIOLOGY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE AT SUFFOLK UNIVERSITY. THEIR MIXED-METHOD APPROACH AIMS TO DETERMINE IF RECEIPT OF A GUARANTEED INCOME CAN MITIGATE KNOWN BARRIERS TO SUCCESSFUL REENTRY, AS WELL AS UNLOCK THE INHERENT POTENTIAL OF RETURNING CITIZENS. THE LAST DISBURSEMENT WILL BE MADE IN MARCH 2023.

COMMUNITY SPRING HIRES PEOPLE IMPACTED BY POVERTY FOR NINE MONTH FELLOWSHIPS TO DESIGN AND IMPLEMENT A CAMPAIGN THAT ADDRESSES STRUCTURAL POVERTY. EVERY YEAR THE CAMPAIGN ISSUE AREA WILL CHANGE DEPENDING ON WHO MAKES UP THE FELLOWSHIP CLASS. THE FOCUS AREA IS DETERMINED AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH FELLOWSHIP CLASS THROUGH A CONSENSUS-BASED PROCESS. THIS INVOLVES SEVERAL DAYS OF FACILITATED DISCUSSIONS AND STORYTELLING EXERCISES THAT PROVIDE SPACE FOR FELLOWS TO IDENTIFY THE MOST SIGNIFICANT PROBLEMS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES, SEE HOW THEIR EXPERIENCES OVERLAP, AND CONSIDER SOLUTIONS TO THOSE PROBLEMS. THEN THEY DESIGN THE GOALS AND ACTIVITIES. CAMPAIGNS ARE GENERALLY ORGANIZED AROUND THREE TYPES OF ACTIVITIES: 1) COMMUNITY-LED SERVICE OR ENGAGEMENT, 2) NARRATIVE SHIFTING COMMUNICATIONS, AND 3) ADVOCACY FOR INSTITUTIONAL OR POLICY CHANGE. THE CAMPAIGN LED BY THE 2021-2022 FELLOWSHIP CLASS ADDRESSED AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND WAS CALLED THE LIGHTHOUSE INITIATIVE. THE LIGHTHOUSE INITIATIVE ANALYZED THE STATE OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN ALACHUA COUNTY AND BUILT A REPORT CARD TO ILLUSTRATE ITS GAPS. IT CREATED A RUBRIC FOR EVALUATING PUBLIC SPENDING ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT REFLECTED THE PRIORITIES OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN IMPACTED BY HOUSING INSECURITY. FELLOWS DEVELOPED ROBUST COMMUNITY EDUCATION TOOLS SUCH AS EXPLAINER VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE AND SOCIAL MEDIA GRAPHICS. THIS PROJECT SPURRED THE CITY OF GAINESVILLE TO REORIENT ITS PRIORITIES FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, ENCOURAGED THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT TO DEVELOP AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING WORKING GROUP, AND CONTRIBUTED TO THE REALLOCATION OF APPROXIMATELY $6 MILLION IN ARPA FUNDING TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING. COMMUNITY SPRING ALSO MEASURES ITS SUCCESS BY THE ABILITY OF FELLOWS TO MEET PERSONAL GOALS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THEIR ECONOMIC STABILITY. AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE FELLOWSHIP, ONE FELLOW WENT BACK TO SCHOOL TO COMPLETE THEIR BACHELORS DEGREE, ONE FELLOW GOT A FULL-TIME SALARIED POSITION AT A LIVING WAGE, ONE FELLOW STARTED THEIR OWN TATTOO BUSINESS, AND ANOTHER FELLOW STARTED A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT LINKS INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION TO FLORIDA PRISONS.