(NewsNation) — Residents of Los Angeles County could be eligible to get $1,000 a month for three years.
Only 1,000 people will be randomly selected for “Breathe,” LA County’s guaranteed income pilot program, NewsNation local affiliate KTLA reported.
To be one of these 1,000 people, applicants must be 18 or older, live in a neighborhood that falls at or below 100% of LA County’s Area Median Household Income. In addition, applicants must have been negatively impacted financially by COVID-19, and not be in any other guaranteed income projects.
A single-person household can potentially get the $1,000 if they have less than a $56,000 income, while a four-person household can’t make more than $96,000.
Only one person per household can participate, according to the LA County website.
County officials said in a news release that the project is meant to address inequities highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic, which hit low-income communities particularly hard.
“Other guaranteed-income programs have proven to disrupt longstanding cycles of poverty and economic inequity by enabling participants to self-determine the budgetary strategies that will most benefit themselves and their families,” the news release said, according to KTLA.
Different programs have seen recipients use the money for paying bills, going to school and caring for their families, LA County officials said.
“It’s time that we trust that our residents know how best to meet their needs when given the resources to do so,” LA County Board of Supervisors Chair Holly J. Mitchell said. “Across the country, guaranteed income has already proven to reduce poverty, improve the long-term well-being of families, and give residents living on the edge of a fiscal cliff the support to breathe a bit easier.”
Part of the application will include a survey that researchers from the University of Pennsylvania will use to collect data about participants. Those selected will be part of a control group, and data will remain confidential and will not be used in selecting participants, KTLA said.
Applications, which can be found on LA County’s website, will be open April 13.