Overview

In June 2023, Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui, in partnership with the Cambridge Community Foundation and the Cambridge Economic Opportunity Committee (CEOC), launched Rise Up Cambridge in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Rise Up Cambridge was a $22 million commitment from the City of Cambridge to provide cash assistance to families with children using funds the city received from the federal American Rescue Plan. It provided $500 per month for 18 months to households with children at or below 21 years of age, earning at or below 250 percent of the federal poverty level. Families were also eligible to receive additional services and support through CEOC. All families who met the requirements were eligible to enroll.

MDRC was selected to lead an evaluation of Rise Up Cambridge. The project uses a longitudinal, mixed-methods approach to measure outcomes, to describe pathways through which outcomes are achieved, and to trace how outcomes change over time. It also compares outcomes for families with different characteristics. Qualitative components of the study, including community engagement, capture the voices of Rise Up Cambridge participants and put quantitative findings into context.