Nearly 2,000 families in Harris County, Texas, are poised to receive monthly cash support as part of the Uplift Harris guaranteed income program, aimed at combating poverty and economic disparities exacerbated by the pandemic. This initiative, funded by the federal American Rescue Plan Act, will provide $500 per month to selected residents, primarily from the Houston area, beginning this April.
Out of a pool of over 83,000 applicants, 1,928 families have been chosen through a randomised lottery process to benefit from the program, receiving $500 per month for a duration of 18 months.
Uplift Harris, as described by the Harris County website, seeks to address the long-standing economic inequities within the community, magnified by the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
To qualify for the program, households must have an income below 200 per cent of the federal poverty line and reside in specified zip codes within Harris County.The zipcodes are 77050, 77093, 77051, 77060, 77028, 77033, 77026, 77081, 77547, and 77091.
According to reports from the Houston Chronicle, successful applicants were notified by March 22, and all funds provided as part of the program are non-repayable. This initiative comes as a response to the pressing need for assistance in an area where 16.4 per cent of the population lives below the poverty line.
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo emphasised the necessity of such programs, stating, "Reducing poverty and helping families who are struggling to meet basic needs should not be a political debate." She highlighted the county's commitment to addressing poverty rates and expressed a desire to explore sustainable funding avenues for the program's continuation.
This endeavour follows similar initiatives across the state, such as the guaranteed-income program in Austin, where households received $1,000 monthly support from September 2022 to September 2023. Evidence suggests that direct cash assistance programs yield substantial social and financial benefits for participating families and the broader community.
