Can $750 a month change lives? Fairfax County wants to find out
Pilot program gives eligible Fairfax families $750 a month
Another county in our region is giving families extra cash – $750 to be exact. D.C., Prince George's County, and Alexandria have similar programs, and now Fairfax County wants to assist lower-income families. FOX 5's Nana-Sentuo Bonsu reports from Franconia with more on this pilot program.
FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. - What happens when you give families an extra $750 a month, place no restrictions on how they can spend it, and offer them free financial coaching?
Fairfax County wants to find out – which is why they've launched an economic mobility pilot that will provide 180 randomly selected residents with 750 bucks for 15 straight months.
The pilot is designed to focus on specific households that are referred to as ALICE — asset-limited, constrained, and employed. They may earn more than the federal poverty level, and too much for some assistance programs, but they're struggling to make ends meet and don't make enough to meet the basic costs of living in Virginia.
New program in Alexandria will give $500 a month to low-income families
A new program in Alexandria will give several hundred dollars in cash a month to low-income families.
Participants in the Fairfax County Economic Mobility Pilot will have to be 18 years or older, have at least one child aged 16 or younger, and live in one of the predetermined neighborhoods. Their household income also has to fall between 150 and 250 percent of the 2023 federal poverty level.
The county says that the economic mobility pilot "promotes dignity and self-determination by enabling residents to take ownership of their own life and spending decisions."
Program to provide monthly cash stipends for low-income families adopted in Prince George's County
Prince George's County has approved legislation to create a Guaranteed Basic Income Pilot Program for low-income families to receive monthly cash stipends.
Residents who are selected will have the option to participate in a research study conducted by George Mason University. The findings will help the county understand the impact that unrestricted cash payments have on the economic and social well-being of working households. Participation in the study is not a requirement to receive the monthly payments.
Funding for the program is coming from leftover COVID-19 money from the American Recovery Plan Act and the Fairfax County Human Services Council's Innovation Fund.
The application portal on the county's website opens on Saturday, Sep. 23.
For more information on the Fairfax County Economic Mobility Pilot click here.