150 families will receive a $500 Stimulus Check each month on a prepaid debit card as part of a 12-month pilot program run in partnership by the City and Northwestern University.
The funds will be available for the families to use as they see appropriate. According to a statement by the City of Evanston, the money will augment the current social safety net. Participants must be Evanston residents and have family incomes at or below 250% of the federal poverty line to be eligible for the drawing. For all states except Alaska and Hawaii, the federal poverty line in 2022 is $13,590 for an adult and $27,750 for a four-person family.
Stimulus Check Deadline Is Almost Here
The city of Chicago, Northwestern University, and $700,000 in extra money from the American Rescue Plan for 2021 contribute to the program’s funding. The so-called Guaranteed Income Pilot Program Stimulus Check will have a research component that will look at the effects of giving people in need guaranteed money to spend however they see fit.
The Stimulus Check program’s application process closes on August 29, 2022. The awardees will be decided soon after. For additional information and to apply, Evanston residents can go to cityofevanston.org.gi. Mayor Daniel Biss sent a statement to the media stating, “Evanston is happy to join the growing Guaranteed Income movement.”
Thank you to Northwestern University, the Evanston Community Foundation, and former Councilmember Cicely Fleming for advancing the idea to use ARPA funding for this pilot. These Stimulus Check programs offer assistance without conditions, allowing recipients to use the money however it makes the most sense for them and their families.
