Signups for a new guaranteed income pilot program are now open.
Applicants in Harris County, Texas can now sign up for the program, which will give away just over $17 million to 1,928 households that are struggling to pay their bills.
The households must be living below 200% of the federal poverty line, and each will receive $500 per month for one and a half years.
“The pilot will serve residents of two cohorts. The first cohort includes residents who live within the top 10 high-poverty zip codes in Harris County.
The second cohort includes priority populations under ACCESS, a coordinated and client-centered safety net service delivery model administered by Harris County Public Health.”
The final participants in both groups will be randomly selected through a lottery process.
The program was approved by Harris County last summer, and funds will come from a $20.5 million grant from the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
Harris County is working with the international nonprofit GiveDirectly to administer the program, and the first group of payments are expected to be handed out as early as March 2024.
