Originally posted on Essence
The city of St. Louis is stepping in a big way for its residents.
Mayor Tishaura Jones recently spoke about a new program that will provide low-income families with $500 monthly payments for 18 months to help lift them out of poverty, per a St. Louis Post-Dispatch report.
The money will be distributed to hundreds of city households, the outlet says. It also states that she Jones believes the effort will help rebuild neighborhoods and prevent the root causes of crime.
“St. Louis’ guaranteed basic income will give hundreds of St. Louis families the resources they need to lift themselves out of poverty, giving them a strong foundation to grow and thrive,” Jones said at an October 10 press conference.
The program will send payments to around 540 St. Louis households parents or guardians of children attending city public schools, including charter schools, the outlet writes. Those who earn 170% of the federal poverty line or less — about $42,000 for a family of three are eligible to apply.
The Guaranteed Basic Income (GBI) pilot program will roll out in three phases which includes an informational phase, application period (Oct 23rd – Nov 1st) and verification (Nov 6th – Nov 13th).
As the St. Louis Dispatch highlights, other major cities like Chicago, Denver, and Baltimore have deployed similar universal income programs to help low-income families grapple with poverty.
“Every child deserves to grow up in a loving community like I did,” Jones said during the press conference. “Where you can let your kids play in the park without fear. Every family deserves their own big house to pass down to their kids to build wealth that spans generations.”
