3 Cities Around the US Offering Guaranteed Income: Could You Get This Free Money?
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Gabrielle Olya
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Molly Sullivan
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If you live in certain places around the U.S., you may be eligible to receive guaranteed income. Also known as guaranteed basic income or basic income, guaranteed income is a cash payment that is provided on a regular basis to members of specific communities, regardless of their work status, with no strings attached. It is meant to ensure that all members of a community remain above a certain income floor.
Here are some of the U.S. cities that offer guaranteed income, plus, what’s required to be eligible to receive it.
Durham County, North Carolina
Durham County recently launched a pilot program, DCo Thrives, that will provide guaranteed income to selected families for a full year. According to the DCo Thrives website, the guaranteed income pilot program will distribute no-strings attached funds to 125 families for 12 months.
To be eligible, you must live in Durham County, be age 18 or older, parent a child under the age of 18 and have a household income at or below 30% of the area median income (AMI) for Durham (for a family for four, the income threshold is $31,750). The 125 families will be selected at random and will receive monthly payments of $750.
Salem, Massachusetts
In 2024, Salem, Massachusetts, announced the launch of Uplift Salem, a guaranteed income pilot program that will provide $500 a month to 100 residents for one year. Eligible participants must reside in Salem and have household or family incomes at or below 100% of the federal poverty level based on household size.
The application deadline closed on Dec. 1, 2024. The initial pilot is being funded through American Rescue Plan Act dollars and a private contribution through the nonprofit UpTogether, but there are hopes it could be repeated in the future with state or federal funding.
Boulder, Colorado
Boulder, Colorado, launched the Elevate Boulder program in January 2024. The program is providing 200 low-income households with $500 a month in direct cash assistance for two years, no strings attached. To be eligible, applicants need to reside in the city of Boulder, be at least 18 years old, meet income requirements and have experienced hardship due to COVID-19.
According to the City of Boulder website, the Elevate Boulder application process closed on Nov. 17, 2023. The project will not take new applicants in 2025.
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