$2,484,000 To Be Given Away As Guaranteed Income Pilot Prepares for Launch in US County

A California county is preparing to launch a basic income program that will give millions of dollars to women living below the poverty line.

The Humboldt Income Program is an 18-month, $2.484 million project aimed at providing financial assistance to 150 expecting women in their pregnancy’s 1st or 2nd trimester during the enrollment period and living below 200% of the federal poverty line.

Selected participants in California’s Humboldt County will receive $920 in monthly payments that will be given on top of the benefits provided by the government or any charitable program.

The signup process began on December 1st, 2023, and will be open until May 30th, 2024. Interested applicants must be referred by one of the program’s partners to have a shot at qualifying.

The Humboldt Income Program will be run by the McKinleyville Family Resource Center, a California-based social services organization whose mission is to “develop programs that support, enrich and sustain healthy community life.”

Program manager Robin Baker tells the ABC-affiliated news station KRCR-TV that the project seeks to challenge existing beliefs on why some people struggle with their finances.

“There’s a lot of misunderstanding about why people live in poverty and it’s not because people are making bad choices with their money, it’s because they don’t have access to money for a variety of different reasons.” 

Once selected, the participants will receive payments every 25th of the month through direct bank deposits or pre-paid debit cards.

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