Because, you know, Cook County, home to Chicago, has a ton of money to throw around and no other problems.
Cook County residents can apply for The Promise Guaranteed Income {ilot program which offers $500 a month for two years. They will pick applicants by random for the 3,250 spots.
That’s a total of $42 million, which is the largest guaranteed income program in the country.
County officials think this could help “tackle poverty and racial inequalities.” Qualifications include:
From The Chicago Sun-Times:
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said she saw the need for a guaranteed income program during the coronavirus pandemic.“We saw that low-income communities of color experienced the worst health and economic effects,” Preckwinkle said. “We believed then and we believe now those disparities were unacceptable.”Officials provided few specifics about the rollout beyond saying they expect to take applications in the fall, recipients will be chosen in a lottery and first payments will hit residents’ pockets by year’s end.The county, meanwhile, is seeking proposals from organizations and agencies to help administer the program, provide outreach and help in-person applicants. The county is accepting those proposals through June 10.
Periwinkle wants to make the program permanent but did not offer any ideas about funding:
“Historically, both public and private institutions have been unwilling to directly invest in low-income people without significant restrictions attached. This red tape is in place not because any evidence shows that it is necessary, but rather because our society does not trust that people living in poverty have the character or ability to make good decisions for themselves,” President Preckwinkle said. “Cook County is reframing the way we think about government assistance and is proud to be leading the way in the American guaranteed income movement.”
The University of Chicago will study the pilot, concentrating on three points. From The Chicago Tribune:
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