Rochester launches Guaranteed Basic Income Program, offering unconditional payments

Andrea Deckert//June 16, 2023//

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Rochester Mayor Malik D. Evans announced this week the launch of the city’s Guaranteed Basic Income (GBI) Program.

Qualified city residents will be able to apply starting at 10 a.m. on Thursday, June 22, through 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, June 29.

Financed by $2.2 million of the city’s American Rescue Plan Act funds, Rochester’s GBI program will provide a monthly payment of $500 to 351 individuals for 12 months. The payments are unconditional, which means that there are no strings attached, no work requirements and no restrictions on how the money can be spent.

“Rochester’s GBI program has the potential to create significant opportunities for our residents to not only survive, but to thrive,” Evans said. “We continue to work to take our city from a poverty mindset to a prosperity mindset, and to prioritize the well-being and economic stability of our community. GBI is one more program helping to do that.”

Applicants to the GBI program must meet all qualification criteria:

Must be 18 years of age or older
Must be a resident of the City of Rochester for at least one year
Household income must be at or below 185% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL)
Must reside in a qualified census tract in the city of Rochester, and
Only one individual per household can participate in the program.

Thanks to a private donation from local philanthropist Linda Philips to the One City Fund 2 at Rochester Area Community Foundation, the city is able to enroll one additional resident in the program, bringing the total to 351 participants.

The city has partnered with the Black Community Focus Fund (BCFF) and the Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities (LEO) to bring the program to fruition, with each partner managing different aspects of the program.

The city will manage and host the online application process; LEO will execute the randomized selection process and coordinate program research, and once participants have been selected and notified, the BCFF will oversee the enrollment process.

For contact information, visit www.RocGBI.com/Partners.

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