The city of Alexandria, Virginia is set to distribute its first round of $500 checks to 170 citizens, chosen from a pool of 4,159 applicants for the ARISE program. The program, also known as the Alexandria Recurring Income for Success and Equity, is a pilot study that aims to provide the city’s most financially vulnerable residents with a recurring income of $500 over 24 months.
MoCaFi, in partnership with the City of Alexandria, will be responsible for distributing the funds through debit-like cards. Participants will not need a bank account to receive their money. The funds come from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which Congress approved in March 2021.
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Beneficiaries of the program are free to use the funds as they see fit, with no restrictions in place. Participants were chosen randomly and notified in December, with the first round of payments expected to be distributed in February. The city could not specify a specific date but affirmed that it is on schedule to distribute the payments.
To be eligible for the ARISE program, you must be a citizen of Alexandria and at least 18 years old. Your household income must be equal to or lower than 50% of the area median income (AMI). All household members who are at least 18 years old are included in the family income, which provides for earned wages and financial benefits such as SSI, SSDI, TANF, and child support.
The city of Alexandria is on a mission to help its residents and make a difference in their lives through this new universal basic income program. With the first round of payments just around the corner, residents can look forward to receiving some much-needed financial support.
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