SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A San Diego nonprofit announced Tuesday it will lead the pilot program for the region's first guaranteed income project.
San Diego for Every Child, a nonprofit within Jewish Family Service of San Diego, will pilot the county's first guaranteed income project, called "Resilient Communities for Every Child." San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, National City Mayor Alejandra Sotelo-Solis, and Congresswoman Sara Jacobs have committed their support to the pilot project.
Participants in the project will receive direct, unconditional monthly cash payments that can be spent on immediate needs like food, car repairs, medicines, or housing expenses. The funds are meant to supplement, not replace, existing financial aid.
The nonprofit says the program will also help achieve economic justice and address racial and gender inequities impacting children living in poverty.
"I’m so excited to be working with Jewish Family Service on this approach to support San Diego’s kids and families. The only way we will solve a problem as big as childhood poverty is with big, bold thinking, and not being beholden to the way things have always been done," said Congresswoman Jacobs, Founding Chair of San Diego for Every Child. "I am proud to be working in Congress to get families across the country the support they need, and to build on that work locally through this innovative project."
San Diego for Every Child plans to pilot the program later this year. More information on the program's launch and eligibility will be announced in the coming months, the nonprofit says.
Gloria and Sotelo-Solis also announced their support for the Mayors for Guaranteed Income project, a national network of mayors advocating for guaranteed income projects.
"I’m proud to join with mayors from across the country who are supporting guaranteed income, and I’m hopeful a pilot project here in San Diego can help uplift more local families and reduce child poverty," said Mayor Gloria. "This kind of initiative will keep families financially secure and generate much-needed revenue to help drive our economic recovery."
"We've learned the hard lesson this past year that financial security can evaporate in the face of an unpredictable world and an economy that is more unequal than ever," added Mayor Sotelo-Solis. "Guaranteed income can provide financial stability to our community here in National City just as it can across the country, ensuring no one falls through the cracks."
More information on the project, or to donate to San Diego for Every Child, can be found online.
