Los Angeles County will start accepting applications for its guaranteed income program today. Under the program, eligible applicants will get $1,000 monthly guaranteed income checks from Los Angeles County for two years.
Los Angeles County $1,000 Guaranteed Income Checks: Who Will Get Them?
The Los Angeles County $1000 guaranteed income checks program, called Breathe, will select 200 applicants who will get monthly checks from Los Angeles County for two years. The Breathe program this time is targeting former foster children.
Authorities will start accepting applications from the morning of June 20, while the application period will close on July 3 at 11:59 p.m.
To qualify for the monthly checks, applicants must be at least 21 years old and must not have turned 24 before September 1. Also, applicants must be former Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services foster youth in care on or after their 18th birthday.
Apart from these, applicants must also meet income requirements. The household income of a single-person household must be at or below 100% of the area median income, while for a household of two or more persons, it should be 120%.
Additionally, applicants must have been negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and must not be enrolled in another guaranteed income program. Selected applicants will get the money via debit cards, and only one person per household will be eligible to participate in the program.
Breathe Program: How To Apply
To apply for the Los Angeles County $1,000 guaranteed income checks visit https://breathe.lacounty.gov during the application window. The application can only be filed online.
Assistance for applicants is available at the enrollment centers, the locations of which are available on the website above. Those with disabilities can use the accessibility software on their device, or visit a drop-in center, or call SBCC (Strength Based Community Change) Hotline at (323) 736-2122 between 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday to Friday, and between 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays, to get help in completing the application over the phone.
SBCC will contact you directly if you are selected; if you are not selected, SBCC will also email or text the applicant to inform them about the same.
Los Angeles County’s Breathe program is not new. Last year, the program selected 1,000 people, who will get $1,000 monthly checks for three years. The program is adding 200 more former foster youth to get the monthly checks for two years.
As per the program’s website, the objective of the program is to “provide its residents the chance to “breathe” easier knowing they are more financially secure.”
The University of Pennsylvania and other research partners will conduct studies to analyze the outcome of the Breathe program. Even those who are not selected for the monthly payments can participate in the study.
Participants will be asked to provide periodic information on their overall health and well-being. They will get a $30 gift card for every survey.