By Fatiha Belfakir,
Special to the AFRO
This week Mayor Brandon Scott announced that Baltimore’s Guaranteed Income pilot program was officially depositing money into eligible bank accounts. A total of 200 families are participating in the Baltimore Young Families Success Fund’s initial cohort.
Baltimore now joins the growing group of U.S. cities such as Chicago, Ill., Seattle, Wash., and Mountain View, Calif. that are either proposing or implementing similar initiatives to address poverty.
Eligible program participants in Baltimore are entitled to a monthly stipend of $1,000, an unconditional payment for 24 months, meant to provide financial relief and stabilize households.
“The Baltimore Young Families Success Fund puts money directly in the hands of our residents because they know what their families need to ascend the ladder of opportunity,” said Mayor Brandon M. Scott in a statement announcing the deposits on Aug. 15. “Guaranteed income programs are proven time and time again to enhance recipients’ wellbeing, and I am excited to see the impact that these dollars will have in the lives of young families in need throughout Baltimore over the next 24 months.”
The city used a random lottery to select families. A total of 70 individuals were selected to receive the payments and be a part of a storytelling group that will share their experiences in the program. Another 130 individuals were selected to receive money and also help complete qualitative and quantitative research via surveys and interviews. A third class of 156 participants will not receive the guaranteed income, but they will receive incentives for agreeing to participate in research.
To qualify for the pilot program, applicants had to be residents of Baltimore City between the ages of 18 and 24 years old at the time of the application deadline; be either the biological or adoptive parents or guardians, and must have full or partial care-taking responsibilities and have income at or below 300 percent of the federal poverty level based on their household size.
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