On Tuesday, the city council approved a COVID-19 relief plan that will provide $1,000 monthly payments to thousands families in one Los Angeles’ most impoverished districts.
More than 3,000 families will be eligible for assistance through BIG:LEAP or Basic Income Guaranteed Los Angeles Economic Assistance Pilot.
Eric Garcetti, Mayor of New York, described it as “the largest guaranteed basic-income program anywhere in the United States of America.”
Families living below the poverty line in Council District may submit their applications starting Friday, October 29th and having until November 7th to do so.
The lottery winners will be paid throughout 2022.
To be eligible, they must have been 18 years of age or older, have at most one dependent child/are pregnant and live in low income households. They also need to have experienced financial or medical hardship because of COVID-19.
BIG:LEAP, which stands for Basic Income Guaranteed Los Angeles Economic Assistance Pilot will be the largest guaranteed income program. After the pilot was approved by the city council, Eric Garcetti, Los Angeles Mayor, holds a sign.
More than 3,000 families will be eligible for assistance through BIG:LEAP or Basic Income Guaranteed Los Angeles Economic Assistance Pilot
Curren Price, Council District’s Councilman, stated that the idea of a pilot program was one that my office has been following since the COVID pandemic.
These will be cash payments that are regular, unconditional, and direct to the participants. They will supplement existing welfare programs. The website explained that there are no restrictions on how money can be spent or requirements for participants.
“Whether it’s paying rent, a new car, or unexpected medical bills. These participants are allowed to meet their most urgent needs immediately.
Curren Price, the district councilman, stated that he hoped to see similar programs at the federal and state levels.
Price said that the idea of a pilot programme was something my office had been following for some while. It gained momentum after we saw our country examine racial disparities, social injustices, and the COVID pandemic.
Families living below the poverty line in Council District may begin to submit applications on Friday, October 29th and have until November 7th to do so
As state governments struggle with meeting the needs of their residents and have to rely on guaranteed income pilots, they are increasingly popular.
FOX reported that his office will serve as a command center during the 10-day online application days.
Other resources, such as Wi-Fi and computers, will also be made available.
Los Angeles has two out of ten residents who are living in poverty. One-third of adults working full-time can’t support their families.
As state governments struggle with meeting the needs of their residents, guaranteed income pilots have grown in popularity.
The pandemic’s effects have been felt across the country, particularly among families that were already struggling to make ends meets before the outbreak.
Libby Schaaf, Oakland Mayor, announces a privately funded program that will provide $500 per month to low-income families of color with no restrictions on how they can spend it
In California, a controversial program that provided $500 monthly checks to families in Oakland of color was also approved in the spring.
The lottery system was funded by private philanthropists and promised no strings attached checks to households with less than $59,000 in annual income, if they have at minimum one child. The remaining $500 checks will go towards those earning less than $30,000.
New York City announced a pilot program that offered $1,250 in payments to 40 homeless individuals aged 18-24 for two years. There were no strings attached.
Recipients have the option to request how they want their money. This includes upfront cash or incremental payments. There are no limits on how they can spend it.
The Trust Youth Initiative aims to assess whether cash donations to young homeless people will increase their chances of finding employment and improve their housing outcomes.
Robert Garcia, the Mayor of Long Beach, has proposed a guaranteed income program to support artists who were financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mayors for a Guaranteed Income, a network representing mayors who support these types of programs in the US, has more than two dozen members.