Many Columbia County families are working harder than ever but still struggling to keep up with rising costs for housing, child care, food and other essentials. For single caregivers, the burden can be even heavier. In response, BTCF has partnered with Greater Hudson Promise Neighborhood to launch a countywide guaranteed income pilot: BTCF Guaranteed Income for Columbia County
The program will provide $500 per month for two years to two families in each of the county’s 21 towns. Participants—single caregivers with at least one child under age six—will be selected by lottery. The program is designed to be simple and supportive, enabling families to use the funds however they see fit. Guaranteed income programs like this one have been tested in more than 150 cities across the U.S. and are showing promising results.
Deborah Lans' piece in The Columbia Paper, A guaranteed income program comes to Columbia County, explores how guaranteed income works, what the research says, and why BTCF’s program is especially meaningful in a rural county.
