Understanding the impact of a social support program in Immokalee, FL, during the COVID-19 pandemic

From December 2020 to July 2021, $700,000 was distributed in direct cash transfers to residents of Immokalee, FL who tested positive for COVID-19. The goal of this study is to evaluate the impact of this cash transfer program. We conducted 157 structured interviews with program beneficiaries via phone call or home visit and asked about sociodemographic variables, how the money was used, whether the money was sufficient for two weeks’ financial needs, and participant ability to self-isolate. A logit regression model was then used to explore the relationships between sociodemographic variables and whether the respondent thought the money was enough for two weeks of financial needs. A majority of respondents (83.7%) reported spending the check exclusively on living expenses, and 99.3% reported that the money helped them stay home and quarantine while having COVID-19. Offering direct cash transfers of $800-$1200 to residents of Immokalee, FL who tested positive for COVID-19 was effective in reducing COVID-associated financial burden, and this money was most likely to be spent on living necessities rather than temptation goods. People with housing insecurity and without a high school degree were significantly less likely to report that the money was enough for two weeks’ financial needs, indicating that these characteristics mark those in the population who may have needed more support. Given that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated pre-existing health disparities, it is important to understand the role of cash transfers as a public health tool and their potential impact on community mitigation efforts. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. ### Funding Statement The authors received no specific funding for this work. ### Author Declarations I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained. Not Applicable The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below: Submitted to the University of Miami IRB office and deemed Not Human Research (IRB Submission 20210510). I confirm that all necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived, and that any patient/participant/sample identifiers included were not known to anyone (e.g., hospital staff, patients or participants themselves) outside the research group so cannot be used to identify individuals. Not Applicable I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance). Not Applicable I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines and uploaded the relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material as supplementary files, if applicable. Not Applicable All relevant data are within the manuscript and its Supporting Information files.