Some low-income families in San Diego County will start receiving a guaranteed monthly income of $500, reports KGTV.
The program is aiming to get San Diego families out of poverty. Families will begin receiving the payments, with no strings attached, this fall.
"About 40% of children under 12 are living in a household making at or below the federal poverty line," said Erin Hogeboom, the director of 'San Diego for Every Child.'
The group is the main partner in the new Guaranteed Income Project.
"We are focusing on communities in San Diego and in National City that were disproportionately impacted by not only COVID but the emerging recession," said Hogeboom.
The initiative is similar to a pilot program in Stockton where 125 low-income families received $500 a month for a year. The recipients were not required to interview, do drug tests, or have any work requirements.
'San Diego for Every Child' plans on doing the same for 150 families for two years.
"No strings attached income that would just really help get them in a financially stable place and also infuse that back into our local economy," Hogeboom said.
Hogeboom also has a message for those who say the program is a handout and discourages people from seeking work.
"Contrary to what some of the concerns were, we saw increases in work," Hogeboom said. "So with this increased income, many families were actually able to go to job interviews that may not have been able to take the time off to do before."
'San Diego for Every Child' is now fundraising the $1.8 million needed to fund the program.
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