Thanks to the leadership of @Councilmember Cicely Fleming and @Northwestern University, the Evanston City Council last night unanimously appropriated $700,000, matching Northwestern’s contribution of $300,000, investing $1 million total to launch Evanston’s Guaranteed Income Pilot Program. This 1-year pilot aims to provide randomly selected residents with $500 monthly payments over 12 months. Payments would be made to an equal number of approximately 166 residents from each of the following three categories: 18-24 year-olds, seniors citizens (over 62 years old), and undocumented residents.
As Executive Director Patrick Keenan-Devlin stated last night in support of the proposal, “$500 per month in unrestricted funds for emerging adults, seniors, and undocumented residents experiencing poverty would be transformational in alleviating poverty within our community. This Program would provide crucial stability and consistency to the most vulnerable individuals and families in our community who have been most deeply impacted by the pandemic.”
Check back here in the coming weeks and months to learn more about the roll-out of this historic cash transfer program!
