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SELECT American families could qualify for consistent monthly payments through a new program.
The guaranteed income offering has just three qualifications for residents in a certain state.
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Californians in the Sacramento area could get the cash through the Family First Economic Support Pilot (FFESP).
FFESP seeks to assist around 200 low-income households this year, per a website created for the initiative.
Its mission is to combat financial disparity among Black, American Indian, and Alaska Native families and offer parents a chance to improve their lives and take care of their mental health, per behealthysacramento.org.
As a start, it committed to paying out $725 payments monthly to eligible candidates for one year for a total of $8,700 per family.
The program funding comes from the State Block Grant via the California Department of Social Services.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
To apply for the free money, interested parties should be parents or legal guardians taking care of Black, American Indian, or Alaska Native children aged zero to five.
The children must also reside with their parents or legal guardians at least 50% of the time.
Secondly, they must have a household annual income level of 200% below the poverty line.
That would be less than $40,880 for two people who live in the residence and under $105,440 for eight or more.
Finally, applicants must reside within one of six zip codes:
- 95821 (Arden Arcade)
- 95838 (Del Paso Heights)
- 95815 (North Sacramento)
- 95823 (Valley High and Florin)
It’s also important to note that immigration status does not impact applicants’ eligibility for FFESP benefits.
CASH INCOMING
While applications closed on October 13, 2024, it’s important to note the requirements for future years.
Additionally, payments for this year are expected to head out soon for the 200 Sacramento families who qualified and were picked in the lottery-style selection process.
How does Guaranteed Income work?
Guaranteed Income and Universal Basic Income programs have taken off in popularity recently.
After the Biden administration’s American Rescue Plan of 2021 sent stimulus money to local governments, dozens began testing guaranteed income (GI) systems.
The specifics vary, but GI typically involves payouts to people with low incomes. Unlike traditional welfare, there are no job requirements, drug tests, or other strings attached.
Some have pushed for a Universal Basic Income (UBI), which would go to everyone regardless of how much money they make at work. Alaska has used a similar system since the 1970s.
Proponents say this alleviates poverty while incentivizing work, unlike classic welfare, which cuts benefits from people who begin earning “too much” money to qualify.
Opponents argue such a system is too expensive to function on a large scale and suggest Americans should avoid becoming reliant on government money.
With some cities heralding the success of GI programs, some Republican-led states have moved to ban them. States like Texas and Iowa, for example, have undermined major spending plans by pushing against GI.
The first monthly distribution of $725 is expected to arrive on December 15, 2024.
A final FFESP payment would then arrive on November 15, 2025.
MAKING AN IMPACT
Sacramento County Director of Child, Family, and Adult Services Michelle Callejas emphasized that Black and Native American families in the area faced disproportionate impacts from child welfare.
“These are families that are living within high rates of poverty across all the zip codes. There is that conflation, Callejas said in a statement.
Dr. Steve Wirtz, a developmental psychologist and First 5 Sacramento Commissioner, also said increasing income through FFESP is a great start to creating a better environment for the affected families.
“It has been shown to work over and over again, there are 150 or more of these programs going on right now,” Wirtz said while speaking with ABC affiliate KXTV.
Wirtz explained that the funds help cover bills before they are due and significantly reduce the chances of child neglect and family dysfunction.
There’s also less of a need for a child welfare system.
“Investing in children early is the best bet we can make, and it pays off for all of us,” Wirtz noted.
More information about FFESP can be found on the United Way California Capital Region website.
