Residents of Ann Arbor, Michigan, who applied to receive monthly payments of $528 under a program for low-income small business owners and entrepreneurs will see their second check today.
Payments started going out last month to hundred applicants that were selected to participate in a two-year guaranteed income pilot program called Guaranteed Income to Grow Ann Arbor, led by the University of Michigan’s Poverty Solutions team.
Payments will be sent out on the 15th of each month, depending on when weekends or holidays fall, Kristin Seefeldt, the associate director of Poverty Solutions, confirmed to the Washington Examiner this week. The payments are slated to run through 2025.
“This guaranteed income pilot is about celebrating residents who do much to strengthen our community but are still struggling to make ends meet,” Seefeldt said.
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The application process closed in 2023. Interested residents had to have met several requirements. Those who qualified had to be residents of Ann Arbor and at least 18 years old. Applicants had to have an income at or below 225% of the federal poverty line. Those who receive or could be eligible for federal assistance, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or Pell Grants, likely qualified.
The grant was open to those identified as an “entrepreneur, owner of a formal or informal small business, independent contractor, provide paid services informally, or a gig worker” across various industries.