The application process for the County’s Guaranteed Income Program begins March 31st
Los Angeles County is launching Breathe to provide its residents the chance to “breathe” easier knowing they are more financially secure. Breathe is a guaranteed income project that will provide 1,000 eligible residents with $1,000 per month for three years. While the benefits of guaranteed income programs have been documented, this will also be an independent research project that will be used to study the effects of this type of program so that the County and other jurisdictions can learn about the project’s impact on the economic stability of participants, as well as its impact on participants’ overall health and well-being. Early research suggests that a Guaranteed Income program can provide households with financial stability during sharp economic swings to breathe a little easier, alleviate stress, and broaden recipients’ horizons, allowing them the time to complete deferred education and job training, as well as plans to fully participate in their communities. Importantly, these programs come without the scrutiny and work requirements of certain public benefits.
To be eligible for this project, you must meet all of these requirements:
· Be 18 years of age or older
· Have a household income that falls at or below 100% of the County’s AMI (see Eligibility Map), for a single person household, or have a household income that falls at or below 120% of the County’s AMI for households with two or more persons (see Income Eligibility Table)
· Have been negatively financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic
· Not be currently enrolled in another Guaranteed Income project offered by the County, a city, or other public or private entity
Note: Only one person will be eligible to participate in the project per household.
The application will be available on the website between March 31st and April 13th: https://ceo.lacounty.gov/pai/breathe/