Guaranteed Income Pilot Program will provide 300 households with $800 per month for 24 months, no strings attached.

The Montgomery County Council unanimously approved a nearly $2 million special appropriation for the Guaranteed Income Pilot Program.

A guaranteed income is a monthly cash payment given directly to individuals. It is unconditional, with no strings attached. A guaranteed income is meant to supplement, rather than supplant, the existing social safety net and can help promote racial and gender equity.

“The Guaranteed Income Pilot Program is a solution to assist families in permanently exiting poverty,” said Council President Albornoz, a lead sponsor of the resolution. “It honors a family’s resilience by placing trust in their ability to make their own decisions on what is best for their path forward. The first of its kind in the State of Maryland, this program will help provide economic mobility to our most vulnerable residents and put an end to generational poverty.”

The County expects the program to enroll 300 households and provide $800 per month for 24 months. The pilot will be a public-private partnership with a $1 million grant from the Meyer Foundation to support this effort.

A collaborative planning effort is underway to determine enrollment guidelines for the pilot program. In addition, efforts are underway to address any impact from guaranteed income on other benefits and the structure for evaluating outcomes for participant households.

Council Member Jawando and Council President Albornoz are the lead sponsors of the resolution. The resolution is co-sponsored by Council Vice President Glass and Council Members Hucker, Rice, Riemer, and Navarro.

Visit the Montgomery County Council website for more information.