Those below the poverty line and in need of financial support can now apply to get $500 a month for a year starting in the spring through the city’s guaranteed income pilot program, Long Beach Pledge, available here through Wednesday, Jan. 24.
To be eligible for the program, applicants have to meet the following requirements:
- Have dependent children and a gross household income equal to or less than the federal poverty level
- Live in the 90802, 90804, 90805, 90806 or 90810 ZIP codes
- No one else in the household is participating in another guaranteed income program
Applicants can calculate if their income is eligible through the application or by using this online calculator. They’ll be asked to provide documentation verifying eligibility, and only one member of each household can receive benefits.
The online application is available in English, Spanish, Khmer and Tagalog. Applicants who don’t have access to a computer or smartphone can visit a public computer lab at any Long Beach library. Locations can be found here.
Those who need help with their applications can go to the following locations:
- Family Learning Center at Billie Jean King Main Library (200 W. Broadway) – Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 1 to 5 p.m., and Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m.
- Family Learning Center at Michelle Obama Library (5870 Atlantic Ave.) – Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2 to 7 p.m.; Wednesdays, 2 to 6 p.m.; Fridays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Saturdays 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Family Learning Center at Burnett Neighborhood Library – Tuesdays and Thursdays 4 to 7 p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- The Workplace (4811 Airport Plaza Drive, Suite 120) – Weekdays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Future LB (508 W Willow Street) – Mondays through Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Fridays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
After all applications have been screened, the city will randomly select beneficiaries from the pool of eligible candidates.
This will be the second wave of the program, giving aid to 200 households with $1.2 million dedicated to the city’s homelessness prevention efforts through the Long Beach Recovery Act.
“From the first cohort of this program, we learned more about the extent of the financial and housing insecurities residents face locally,” Mayor Rex Richardson said in a press release. “Through the program’s expansion, we are continuing to provide critical financial support to families most in need. I encourage all eligible residents to apply so they can receive financial support for everyday necessities.”
More information on the application and program can be found here. For more information on the city’s Homelessness Emergency response, click here.