COOK COUNTY, Ill. (WBBM NEWSRADIO) --Cook County hopes to build a more equitable future for its residents by offering guaranteed income.
On Wednesday, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle announced the Cook County Promise Guaranteed Income Pilot.
“The $42 million program is the nation's largest government funded pilot,” Preckwinkle said. “We will provide $500 monthly checks to 3,200 Cook County residents for a two year period.”
The program will be funded by American Rescue Plan Act dollars as part of a $1 billion investment to help build a sustainable, affordable and equitable future for Cook County residents.
“Historically, both public and private institutions have been unwilling to directly invest in low-income people without significant restrictions attached. This red tape is in place not because any evidence shows that it is necessary, but rather because our society does not trust that people living in poverty have the character or ability to make good decisions for themselves,” Preckwinkle said in a news release.
“Cook County is reframing the way we think about government assistance and is proud to be leading the way in the American guaranteed income movement.”
Applications are expected to open this fall and while it’s only a pilot, Preckwinkle said the county is looking into long-term solutions.
“Our promise to Cook County residents is to make the program permanent in the years to come. We believe that decades of research justify a program such as this, and in fact, demand it.”
Participants must be adults living in Cook County, be income-eligible (household income at or below 250% of the Federal Poverty Guideline) and not be participants in other guaranteed income programs for the 24-month duration of the Cook County pilot.
You can learn more about the Cook County Promise Guaranteed Income Pilot at www.engagecookcounty.com/promise.
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