In 11 days, select California families will receive a payment of $500 from a guaranteed income program.
The program, Pathway to Income Equity, gives $500 to 305 families in Sonoma County every month over the course of two years. Officials will study the impact of this additional income concerning reducing poverty and promoting economic mobility for families with young children, according to the Sonoma County Administrator’s Office.
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“These payments will help families with young children who are often struggling under the double burden of the high costs of housing and child care — typically the two highest household expenses,” said Supervisor Chris Coursey, chairman of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors. “The information we gain from this pilot program will help shape future efforts to improve the health and welfare of our community.”
Angie Dillon-Shore, the director of the nonprofit group First 5 Sonoma County, told the Washington Examiner these payments will go out to recipients on the third Wednesday of every month and that the final payment will be issued in December 2024.
Applications for this program were open to applicants who met specific criteria, including being a resident of Sonoma County, being pregnant and/or the parent of a child no older than 5, being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and making an income of less than 185% of the federal poverty level, which would be $42,606 for a family of three. Applications for this program opened on Sept. 1 and closed on Oct. 31, according to First 5 Sonoma County.
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A total of 6,450 online applications were submitted for review, and 2,383 of those met eligibility requirements.
Additional information regarding this program can be found online.
