{"id":2703,"date":"2022-04-26T08:27:45","date_gmt":"2022-04-26T12:27:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/politicalbourbon.com\/en\/?p=2703"},"modified":"2022-04-26T08:27:46","modified_gmt":"2022-04-26T12:27:46","slug":"residents-to-receive-guaranteed-universal-income-in-baltimore-pilot-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/politicalbourbon.com\/en\/2022\/04\/26\/residents-to-receive-guaranteed-universal-income-in-baltimore-pilot-program\/","title":{"rendered":"Residents to Receive Guaranteed Universal Income in Baltimore Pilot Program"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Baltimore Young Families Success Fund Will Support 200 Young Parents<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

BALTIMORE, MD\u00a0<\/strong>(Wednesday, April 20, 2022) \u2014 Today, Mayor Brandon M. Scott joined local officials and strategic partners to announce the Baltimore Young Families Success Fund (BYFSF), the Scott administration\u2019s Guaranteed Income pilot program. The BYFSF will provide 200 young parents, between 18 and 24 years old, with an unconditional cash payment of $1,000 per month over 24 months to provide financial stability and reduce poverty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Mayor Scott has allocated $4.8 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds that will be directly distributed to recipients. Costs for program administration will be funded through the Mayor\u2019s Office of Children and Family Success (MOCFS) as well as private and philanthropic donors, including CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, The Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Abell Foundation, the France-Merrick Foundation, and The Zanvyl and Isabelle Krieger Fund.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilot is a collaboration between the City of Baltimore, the CASH Campaign of Maryland, Mayors for a Guaranteed Income (MGI), and Steady. Guaranteed Income is designed as an unconditional monthly cash payment given directly to individuals and is meant to supplement, rather than replace, the existing social safety net. Guaranteed Income provides a steady, predictable income to recipients to decide how to spend direct payments based on their personal needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur Guaranteed Income pilot program will help combat the economic fallout from COVID-19 and assist young parents hit the hardest by the pandemic,\u201d said Mayor Brandon M. Scott<\/strong>. \u201cThis is, fundamentally, about putting our families in a position to succeed. Guaranteed Income programs are proven to improve recipients’ quality of life significantly. The Baltimore Young Families Success Fund will put money directly in the hands of our residents because they know what their families need to ascend the ladder of opportunity. This investment is another example of Baltimore using its ARPA dollars to have a real impact on our residents and communities.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A guaranteed income source is expected to significantly improve the quality of life for families in Baltimore City. When families have a baseline income, they are more equipped to handle material barriers, reduce nutritional insecurity, pay for childcare, cover unexpected medical bills, and seek and retain employment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the last year, a steering committee co-led by Joe Jones Jr., Founder and President & CEO of the Center for Urban Families (CFUF), and Danielle Torain, Director of the Open Society Institute \u2013 Baltimore (OSI), have been meeting to design the pilot program. The steering committee conducted public surveys and focus groups, including the input of individuals eligible for the program in the design process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBaltimore\u2019s predominantly Black and Latino working-class communities \u2014already suffering from decades of institutional disinvestment \u2014 were among the hardest hit by the COVID pandemic and its economic fallout,\u201d said Danielle Torain, Director of the Open Society Institute \u2013 Baltimore (OSI)<\/strong>. \u201cGuaranteed Income is a powerful people-centered way to address both the historic disinvestment and the more recent impact of COVID. We hope that by collaborating with communities and creating this pilot, we can create a lasting model to help pull people out of poverty and invite more public and private investment in these communities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Guaranteed Income steering committee, comprised of a diversified cross-section of Baltimore City stakeholders, accepted Mayor Scott\u2019s charge to design a Guaranteed Income pilot program for his consideration,\u201d said Joe Jones Jr., Founder and President and CEO of Center for Urban Families<\/strong>. \u201cWe are excited that 200 young parents will be selected to participate in a rigorously evaluated program to learn how these unconditional resources impact their family strengthening and economic aspirations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be eligible to participate in Baltimore\u2019s Guaranteed Income pilot, applicants must: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n