If eligible, you can receive $500 in Fresno County
FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – Eligible families will have an opportunity to receive $500 for 12 months as part of Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission’s Advancing Fresno County Guaranteed Income program, beginning on March 15.
Officials say this is a monthly supplemental cash payment to households living in vulnerable communities to uplift families and provide financial stability.
Fresno EOC says they advocated alongside community partners and sought funding to launch efforts locally. In 2022, the state, funded seven agencies with more than $25 million to expand these efforts and the Central Valley was denied.
“Our local community did not take no for an answer when the state decided to leave the Central Valley out of its Guaranteed Income Pilot Program funding in 2022,” said Emilia Reyes, Fresno Economic Opportunities CEO. “As an anti-poverty agency, we continued to fight and advocate for funding for the community. We are grateful for the foundations who have stepped in to help make this vision a reality.”
Officials say guaranteed Income applications are scheduled to open on March 15 and close on May 15 at 11:59 p.m. Eligible participants can apply online or in person at locations in the two priority zip codes including Fresno EOC’s Local Conservation Corps (Neighborhood Youth Center) located at 1805 E California Ave, Fresno, CA 93706 and in Huron at the previous Senior Center 16900 5th Street Huron, CA 93234.
Fresno EOC says the Center for Community Voices at Fresno State will evaluate the program through paid surveys and focus groups. A total of 150 households will be selected to receive a monthly, guaranteed income. Through a lottery system, researchers will randomly select 75 individuals living in Southwest Fresno and 75 living in Huron, both with over 30% poverty and home to some of the highest levels of concentrated poverty in the city of Fresno and the westside of Fresno County, respectively.
Applications are also available through Fresno EOC’s Guaranteed Income Web page.
