Alexandria guaranteed income pilot program will provide participants $500 a month for 2 years
Using money from COVID-19, the city is working toward its goal of reducing poverty by helping people meet their daily financial obligations.
Participants in a trial program for guaranteed income that will shortly be beginning in Alexandria, Virginia, will get $500 each and every month for a period of two years.
ARISE is an abbreviation that stands for Alexandria’s Recurring Income for Success and Equity. This is the name of the city’s program.
Using money from COVID-19, the city is trying to help people meet their day-to-day financial obligations. This is one way they are trying to reduce poverty and improve their economic situation.
Guaranteed income plans have received support from mayors in cities all around the United States. Programs quite similar to Alexandria’s are being tried out in a number of other cities and counties. More than 206,000 people submitted applications in Cook County, which is located close to Chicago. There were only 3,250 available positions.
Applications may be submitted online from October 31st to November 9th.
To be eligible, applicants must be at least 18 years old, currently reside in Alexandria, and have a certain minimum annual income. There are no prerequisites pertaining to citizenship or employment.
Take a look at the income limits down below. The standard way to measure the size of a household is by the number of people who live in the same place and eat their meals together.
| Household Size | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Income | $49,850 | $56,950 | $64,050 | $71,150 | $76,850 | $82,550 |
| Monthly Income | $4,154 | $4,746 | $5,338 | $5,929 | $6,404 | $6,879 |
The city will pick people at random from the pool of 170 qualified applications to take part in the program.
The first payments will start being distributed in January 2023, and there will be no restrictions placed on how the money should be used in any way.
“We are providing financial resources to individuals and families so they are empowered to decide how to best meet the needs in their lives,” Mayor Justin Wilson said in a news release. “We are creating this unique program to evolve the ways that we assist our neighbors in need of extra support. That is what ARISE is about.”
A community webinar with more information on the program and how to apply will be held at 7 p.m. Oct. 25.
