SACRAMENTO COUNTY, Calif. — A guaranteed income program for some Sacramento County residents started taking applications Monday. The Family First Economic Support Pilot offers $725 a month.
There are no restrictions on how families can spend that money. Applications are due by Oct . 13.
It's primarily funded through California's block grant funding provided to Sacramento County's Department of Child, Family and Adult Services.
People who want to apply must meet all of the following requirements:
- You must be parents or legal guardians of Black/African American, American Indian or Alaska Native children between ages 0 and 5.
- Families must have an annual household income under 200% of the federal poverty level. For example, your annual household income needs to be less than $40,880 if two people live in the household.
- Families must live in one of these zip codes: 95815, 95821, 95823, 95825, 95828 or 95838.
Two hundred people will be randomly selected from those who apply and meet eligibility requirements.
Barbara Mitchell, a retired grandmother who lives with her daughter and grandson in South Sacramento, attended an information session in September. She said paying bills in 2024 is almost unaffordable.
She said the hardest part is trying to figure out which bill to skip in order to buy food.
"...If you're diabetic and you're supposed to eat your meals every day and you can't do it, take your medicine, because you get so much income," Mitchell said. "But then again, they charge you so much for your medicine, but you can't afford it."
Mitchell lives in one of the zip codes where Sacramento County is offering the Family First Economic Support Pilot.
Mitchell said the money would help her family with paying bills, but not everyone is a fan of the idea.
Another person who didn't want to go on camera said he feels programs like these are enabling people and thinks there are other solutions for people to make ends meet.
Mitchell said she doesn't have much of a choice.
"Things (are) going up and up and up, but the money situation is not going up," Mitchell said.
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