Uplift Harris: Harris County launches new program providing $500 monthly to families for 18 months
HOUSTON - Harris County is launching a new program to help families with their financial insecurities.
Uplift Harris: Multi-million dollar program provides guaranteed income to residents in need
Uplift Harris is a guaranteed income/direct cash assistance pilot that allows participating households to receive $500 per month for 18 months. Similar programs across the country have shown that direct cash assistance programs deliver wide-ranging social and financial benefits for participating families and the broader community.
The Uplift Harris County Cash Assistance Pilot will provide no-strings-attached $500 monthly cash payments to 1,928 Harris County residents for 18 months. The goal of the program is to improve participants’ financial and health outcomes, as well as understanding the impact of direct cash assistance on both individuals and their communities.
The COVID-19 pandemic magnified many of the long-standing health and economic inequities in the community. As a result, Harris County is investing $20.5 million from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to address economic inequity and reduce poverty. Uplift Harris is the county’s first guaranteed income program.
Uplift Harris will be evaluated by a third party throughout the program’s duration to assess effectiveness, understand families’ experiences throughout the pilot, and build on its success.
The application period starts on January 8 and ends at 11:59 p.m. on January 26, 2024.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE?
Two cohorts of applicants will be eligible for Uplift Harris Direct Cash Assistance Pilot funds. Eligible applicants will be randomly selected for both cohorts.
- Geographic cohort: Eligibility is based on income and geography. Applicant’s household income must be below 200% of the federal poverty line (FPL) and reside in one of the identified high-poverty ZIP codes. Around 70% of the Uplift Harris Direct Cash Assistance Pilot participants will be selected for the Geographic Cohort.
- ACCESS Harris: Active participants of Accessing Coordinated Care and Empowering Self Sufficiency (ACCESS) Harris County are qualified to apply through their participation in ACCESS Harris and having a household income below 200% FPL. ACCESS cohort participants can reside anywhere in Harris County. Around 30% of the Uplift Harris Direct Cash Assistance Pilot Participants will be selected for the ACCESS Cohort.
WHAT IS THE INCOME LIMIT?
The Federal Poverty Level (FPL) is an income measure used by the government to determine eligibility for programs. It is based on household size - larger households will have higher income cutoffs than smaller households.If you are unsure about whether or not your household qualifies, the following table shows the maximum income for various household sizes:
- For individuals: $29,160
- For a family of 2: $39,440
- For a family of 3 : $49,720
- For a family of 4: $60,000
- For a family of 5: $70,280
- For a family of 6: $80,560
- For a family of 7: $90,840
- For a family of 8: $101,120
- For a family of 9: $111,400
- For a family of 10: $121,680
- For a family of 11: $131,960
- For a family of 12: $142,240
- For a family of 13: $152,520
- For a family of 14: $162,800