A group of residents in one US city will soon receive thousands of dollars from a new guaranteed income pilot program.
Officials in the city of Salem, Massachusetts say they had to abruptly close registrations for Uplift Salem due to an “astounding” amount of demand.
The program will distribute a total of $600,000 to people who are struggling to make ends meet.
One-hundred participants will receive $500 per month over the course of a year, with no restrictions on how the money can be spent.
To qualify, Salem residents need to prove they live in the city and show a household income at or below 100% of the federal poverty level.
Saylem Mayor Dominick Pangallo says he hopes the pilot will be a model for larger programs down the road.
“We want Salem to be an affordable place for everyone, and a guaranteed income program offers an innovative approach to help achieve that goal.
Hopefully, the outcome of this year-long effort will be to add to the momentum for greater state and federal support for these programs and, most importantly, to lift up some of our most vulnerable neighbors here in Salem.”
Pilot members will be randomly selected from eligible applications and participants will receive their first payments by December 1st.
The program is backed by funds from the American Rescue Plan Act and a private contribution from the nonprofit organization UpTogether.
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