PROVIDENCE, RI – Some residents of Providence are the first to receive guaranteed monthly income payments under the city’s new pilot program. The 110 chosen residents will receive monthly payments of $ 500 for the next 12 months.
The city received more than 4,000 applications for the pilot program, which was announced in July. Last month, the selected residents received their first payment.
As part of the Providence Guaranteed Income pilot program, the city is expanding its public benefit counseling program to all interested Rhode Island residents. Counseling sessions are available on weekdays at Amos House from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. or at Dorcas International from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sessions last 30 to 45 minutes and are available in English or Spanish in person or virtually. Participants should have an understanding of their income and the benefits they are currently receiving. To make an appointment, call Amos House at 401-272-0220 or Dorcas International at 401-784-8600.
“I am delighted to announce these critical steps in the Providence Guaranteed Income pilot program,” said Mayor Jorge Elorza. “Through our application process, we saw the critical need of our residents for direct financial assistance. Thanks to our many partners, the first payments have already been made to 110 Providence residents enrolled in this program and important advice on the corresponding benefits is needed. In addition, I am delighted that the benefit advice modeled on our program is now being extended to even more people in need. “
The city partnered with Amos House, the Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island, ONE Neighborhood Builders, the Rhode Island Foundation, United Way of Rhode Island and other community organizations to design the program. Elorza joins dozens of mayors across the country in the Mayors for a Guaranteed Income initiative, a coalition of mayors who are committed to exploring direct cash payments to residents in need.
Providence received $ 500,000 for the program from Jack Dorsey, CEO of Square, as well as financial support from local groups, totaling $ 1.1 million to fund cash payments and other costs associated with the pilot program.
During the pilot, the city is working with the Center for Guaranteed Income Research at the University of Pennsylvania to evaluate the program. According to research from the center, the average monthly income of selected participants is $ 913 per month. More than three-quarters are men and 45 percent of participants are Hispanic or Latino, 31 percent are white, 19 percent are black, 5 percent are Asian, and 38 percent are identified as belonging to another race. More than 60 percent have children under the age of 18, and the median age of participants is 39.
“We must face the obstacles to economic security head-on and boldly,” said Neil Steinberg, president and CEO of the Rhode Island Foundation. “Closing the well-documented wealth gap and addressing the long-standing inequalities faced by communities of color requires committed partners and innovative programs like this one. We are happy to do our part by providing the resources and leadership to help make this pilot a success for the recipients and our community.
Learn more about the program online or by calling 311.
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