Baltimore City to distribute $1,000 payments to parents in guaranteed income pilot program

BALTIMORE -- Baltimore City will soon distribute unconditional monthly payments to 200 young parents who were selected via randomized lottery to take part in the city's guaranteed income pilot program.

Mayor Brandon Scott announced on Monday that the Baltimore Young Families Success Fund had completed its onboarding process and identified the first batch of recipients.

The fund will provide recipients between 18 and 24 years old with a cash payment of $1,000 per month over two years to provide financial stability, Scott's office said.

Now, the city will begin processing those payments. Recipients will see the funds enter their bank accounts or show up on their pay cards in the near future, according to city officials.

To be eligible for the program, parent applicants need to be Baltimore residents between the ages of 18 years old and 24 years old at the time of the application deadline, city officials said.

Additionally, applicants need to be the biological parents, adoptive parents, or guardians of children with full or partial caretaking responsibilities, according to city officials.

Lastly, they must have an income level that is below 300% of the federal poverty level based on their household size, city officials said.

The pilot program is a collaboration between Baltimore City, the non-profit CASH Campaign of Maryland, Mayors for a Guaranteed Income, and Steady.

The Mayor's Office of Children and Family Success has partnered with the CASH Campaign of Maryland to administer the program, including the onboarding process, according to city officials.

Scott has allocated $4.8 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds for the program. That money will be directly distributed to recipients, city officials said.

Costs for program administration will be funded through the Mayor's Office of Children and Family Success and philanthropic donors, according to city officials. Those donors include The Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Abell Foundation, the France-Merrick Foundation, and The Zanvyl and Isabelle Krieger Fund.