(KISS PR Chicago News Bureau Report) The covid-19 pandemic has not only killed millions of people but also pushed millions into extreme poverty. Though the US Government is coming up with many relief measures for its citizens, it's still a drop in the ocean. But every drop counts!
Pilot Program – A Guaranteed Income for the Poor
In an effort to reduce the financial burden on Chicago residents, Mr. Gilbert Villegas (a member of municipal assembly) has come up with a program called PILOT PROGRAM – A Guaranteed Income for the Poor; for the Chicago residents who were suffering a disproportionate hit from the covid-19 shutdown of the city.
Why Chicago?
With a population of over 2.7 million and being the third-largest city in the United States, Chicago's unemployment is 7.7%. Most of the residents have lost their jobs, livelihood, and working hours due to the pandemic. Considering this as an appropriate reason, Villegas has come up with the above-said Pilot program.
Chicago, the third-largest U.S. city with almost 2.7 million residents, joins cities coast to coast in contemplating guaranteed income payments as a tool to help lower-income residents and those from Black and brown communities that are enduring the serious impacts of Covid-19 as this is a tool to help the low-income residents from Black to brown.
$500 a month for 1 year - 5000 Beneficiaries
"Northwest Side Ald. Gilbert Villegas, 36th, wants to use $30 million in federal pandemic recovery money to pay up to 5,000 Chicagoans $500 per month for a year. To qualify, applicants would need to have an annual income of 300% or less of the federal poverty level, which Villegas said works out to $38,640 for a single person and $52,260 for two people". [1]
Project Might Continue for the Future Years!
Villegas have given a free call for the Recipients to share the transactions to help the city study the effectiveness of the pilot program voluntarily. Villegas said that this is a one-year pilot program but could be continued for the future years with the support of federal aid through the combination of philanthropic and city revenue.
Research Has Been Done on Similar Proposals
Gilbert Villegas has researched similar proposals from different cities of California and Stockton, St. Paul, Minnesota. As the research says, there were plans for a two-year program that gave $500 a month for 125 families found recipients.
In this regard, Villegas says, "This is my attempt at what I feel is a necessary recovery plan." Well, it's promising, isn't it?
REFERENCES:
[2] https://www.bloombergquint.com/onweb/chicago-latest-u-s-city-to-consider-guaranteed-income-for-poor
Published by: Book Club
Source: NewsService
Release ID: 17906