Payments to start in 2023
By Susan Payne
A guaranteed income pilot program that would provide transgender and nonbinary residents a monthly payment has been approved by the Palm Spring City Council.
During a meeting on March 24, the council approved the plan and allotted $200,000 to fund initial research and development, according to NBC Los Angeles.
With no stipulations on how the money can be spent, the pilot program would provide monthly payments to a number of transgender and nonbinary residents in Palm Springs starting sometime over the next year, NBC LA stated.
A city council report highlights the need for such program due to a disproportionate transgender and nonbinary resident vulnerability to unemployment, homelessness, assault and discrimination. The council wants to fund this program using the $35 million fund allocated for guaranteed income programs across California.
The new program, in partnership with DAP Health and Queer Works will launch between October of this year and February of 2023 in three phases, according to the Palm Springs’ phase summary. Residents will be invited to apply in March, the document stated. Only 1,000 county residents will be given $1,000 per month money for three years.
LA applicants are required to meet income and residency requirements and be negatively affected by COVID-19.
For more information on the Palm Springs’ pilot program and for a tentative timeline of the program’s rollout, view the document linked here.
