The city of Chicago has announced a series of new anti-poverty initiatives, including one that will give thousands of low-income families a $500 per month stipend.
That program, known as the Chicago Resilient Communities Pilot, will launch this year as one of the country’s largest monthly assistance programs, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said in a press release.
The program will support 5,000 low-income households with a $500-per-month stipend, with participating households receiving the checks for 12 months.
“Three years ago, we proposed the idea of a citywide cash pilot, and now, 5,000 Chicagoans will soon receive $500 monthly checks,” Harish Patel, director of Economic Security for Illinois, said. “For those families, this will be a year of relief.”
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According to city officials, the pilot program will require participants to apply for a lottery to participate.
Participants must:
-Live in the city of Chicago
Local
-Be 18 years of age or older
-Have experienced economic hardship related to COVID-19
-Have a household income at or below 250% of the Federal Poverty Level ($57,575 for a household of three).
Applications for the lottery will open in April, but residents can sign up for notifications at the city’s Cash Pilot website.
In addition to the monthly checks, two other cash assistance programs were announced, including a $4.8 million Domestic Worker Relief Fund that will distribute one-time $500 amounts to applicants, and a $10.7 million Chicago Resiliency Fund that will provide aid to those who were excluded from prior federal stimulus payouts.
The three programs are expected to benefit more than 30,000 Chicagoans.
More information can be found on the city’s website about all three programs.
