Unconditional Cash Transfers and Housing Instability: Evidence from a Randomized Controlled Trial in Illinois

Last registered on April 01, 2026
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Unconditional Cash Transfers and Housing Instability: Evidence from a Randomized Controlled Trial in Illinois
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0018214
Initial registration date
March 26, 2026

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
April 01, 2026, 9:53 AM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

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Primary Investigator

Name
Hsi-Ling Liao
Affiliation
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
John Eric Humphries
PI Affiliation
Yale University
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PI Name
Nour Abdul-Razzak
PI Affiliation
University of Chicago
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Additional Trial Information

Status
On going
Start date
2025-01-27
End date
2029-10-31
Keywords
Other
Additional Keywords
Housing, Homelessness
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
This study evaluates the impact of the third round of the Illinois Stability Investment for Family Housing (SIFH), an unconditional cash assistance program that provides a one-time cash assistance to families with school-aged children experiencing homelessness in Illinois. The program adopts a more inclusive definition of homelessness and serves both families living doubled-up and those experiencing literal homelessness. We will evaluate how the cash transfer impacts future homelessness and housing stability more broadly. We will also study how the assistance affects recipients’ well-being and mental health, labor market participation, use of other government programs, and children’s school engagement and educational outcomes.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Abdul-Razzak, Nour, John Eric Humphries and Hsi-Ling Liao. 2026. "Unconditional Cash Transfers and Housing Instability: Evidence from a Randomized Controlled Trial in Illinois." AEA RCT Registry. April 01. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.18214-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
This study evaluates the impact of an unconditional cash assistance program that provides a one-time cash assistance to families with school-aged children experiencing homelessness in Illinois.
Intervention Start Date
2025-06-01
Intervention End Date
2025-06-30

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
We will upload a pre-analysis plan specifying the primary outcomes prior to conducting analysis.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
We will upload a pre-analysis plan specifying the secondary outcomes prior to conducting analysis.
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
The study uses a randomized controlled trial (RCT) design to study the causal impact of one-time unconditional cash transfers on families with school-age children experiencing homelessness, including families living doubled-up. We recruit families through school districts and emergency shelters. Participants are randomly assigned to one of three groups: a treatment group offered a $6,500 cash transfer; a control group offered a $500 cash transfer; and a pure control group that did not receive a cash transfer offer. We will use a combination of administrative and survey data to track participant outcomes.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Randomization done in office by a computer
Randomization Unit
Individual
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
We conducted randomization stratified by geography (whether the family has children attending schools in or outside Chicago) and by payment route (whether the family is paid through Illinois Department of Human Services or an alternative payment vendor).
Sample size: planned number of observations
1,779 families
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
Among the eligible families, 750 were randomized into the treatment group to receive $6,500, and 750 into the control group to receive $500. The rest of the eligible families (279) were randomly assigned to a “pure” control group, in which families do not receive any cash transfer.
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
University of Chicago Institutional Review Board
IRB Approval Date
2025-01-15
IRB Approval Number
IRB24-1293
Analysis Plan