Evaluating the Effectiveness of Emergency Financial Assistance Delivery in Texas

Last registered on April 14, 2021
View Trial History

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Emergency Financial Assistance Delivery in Texas
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0006382
Initial registration date
September 07, 2020

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
September 08, 2020, 8:34 AM EDT

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

Last updated
April 14, 2021, 7:22 PM EDT

Last updated is the most recent time when changes to the trial's registration were published.

Locations

There is information in this trial unavailable to the public. Use the button below to request access.

Request Information

Primary Investigator

Name
Patrick Turner
Affiliation
University of Notre Dame
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Patrick Turner
PI Affiliation
University of Notre Dame, Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities
PI Name
Robert Collinson
PI Affiliation
University of Notre Dame, Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities
PI Name
Melissa Kearney
PI Affiliation
University of Maryland College Park

Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2020-09-11
End date
2025-12-01
Keywords
Welfare
Additional Keywords
Emergency financial assistance
JEL code(s)
D02, D04, I39
Secondary IDs
Abstract
Emergency financial assistance (EFA) provides funds to individuals who need it to stay afloat with expenses like rent or utility bills. In many cases, these funds are distributed on behalf of individuals to an appropriate third party (e.g., in the case of a rent payment, EFA would be transferred directly to a client’s landlord). What is the impact of changing this method of delivery and instead providing EFA payments directly to clients? Through a partnership with Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston Houston (CCGH), this study evaluates how payment delivery could affect outcomes like those related to housing, health, crime, and financial security.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Collinson, Robert et al. 2021. "Evaluating the Effectiveness of Emergency Financial Assistance Delivery in Texas." AEA RCT Registry. April 14. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.6382-3.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Upon meeting the eligibility criteria set by CCGH, applicants have the chance to receive funds of up to $1200. If selected to receive assistance, these funds could either be delivered directly to the client in a check, or indirectly to a qualified party (e.g., a verified landlord or utility provider). Whether a client receives assistance, and the mode of delivery (either direct or indirect) is determined by random assignment.
Intervention Start Date
2020-09-11
Intervention End Date
2025-09-14

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Housing, health, crime, spending patterns, and financial security.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Subgroup analysis conducted by groups based on variables including gender, household size, household income, race/ethnicity, manner impacted by COVID-19, age, foreign-born status, veteran status, disability status, medical needs status, and type of financial assistance requested.
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
Study participants will be entered into a random lottery to be selected to either (1) have their assistance payments coordinated through a third party (“Treatment Arm 1”), (2) receive assistance payments directly (“Treatment Arm 2”), or (3) not receive EFA payments. The target sample group is individuals applying for EFA at CCGH. The target sample size is approximately 1000 total across the three randomly assigned groups. After completing the informed consent process through CCGH’s existing online portal for EFA, applicants will be entered into the random lottery. After learning the results of the lottery CCGH staff will communicate with clients about their next steps. Estimated differences in outcomes will be assessed using a standard intent-to-treat (ITT) model.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Randomization done in office by a computer from a list of assistance applicants that are eligible for the study and have agreed to research.
Randomization Unit
Individual
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
Not applicable
Sample size: planned number of observations
4000 individuals
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
The trial includes roughly one third of participants in the control group, and one third in each of the two treatment arms (direct or indirect payment of assistance).
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 Notre Dame
IRB Approval Date
2020-08-31
IRB Approval Number
20-07-6135
Analysis Plan

There is information in this trial unavailable to the public. Use the button below to request access.

Request Information