In Texas, about 2,000 families are expected to receive $500 a month under a new anti-poverty initiative called Uplift Harris. Houston, Texas — Nearly 2,000 families in Harris County, most of them from Houston, will start receiving monthly $500 payments in April as part of the Uplift Harris guaranteed income initiative.
This is financially supported by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which reduces economic disparities and poverty through the hands of the Federal Government.
Of the staggering 83,000 applicants, the system of choosing beneficiary families was done randomly through a lottery system, with 1,928 families eventually picked and are to be the first recipients under this program. Some of the chosen 100 households will receive $500 every month for a month’s scheme.
Born from the economic challenges magnified by the coronavirus pandemic, Uplift Harris is an initiative addressing historic economic disparities in this community brought to light by our times.\
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For qualification into joining, there was a given set of criteria that the households needed to adhere to. Such eligible families will be those with an income of not more than 200 percent of the federal poverty line who are living within specific zip codes, including 77050, 77093, 77051, 77060, 77028, 77033, 77026, 77081, 77547, and 77091 in the Harris County location.
According to Harris County Public Health, all accepted applicants will be notified by no later than March 22. Notably, it is also worth mentioning that the funds accorded to families falling under this program is not repayable.
The initiatives were of utmost necessity in a county like Harris County, with a percentage of 16.4 of its residents living below the poverty line which is characterized as one of the country’s economic inequalities highest.
The pandemic has only added to the already existing problems, and the necessity for programs like Uplift Harris is a must to render support to such vulnerable communities.
As County Judge Lina Hidalgo underscored, “Reducing poverty and helping families who find themselves unable to meet their basic needs should not be a political debate.” She pointed to the call of the county leaders to take action and discuss sustainable means of funding these programs so that they can help more families down the line. While Uplift Harris marks a significant initiative in Harris County, it is not the first of its kind in Texas.
Austin, for instance, ran a similar guaranteed income program from September 2022 to September 2023, where it issued $1,000 to a sum of 135 households every month. The nation had observed such programs play out on a national scale, benefiting families on an immense level, along with larger communities.
This would, in a sense, deepen the growing recognition of the effectiveness of direct cash assistance programs in redressing economic disparities and helping vulnerable populations, especially during their time of crisis.
