The mayor of Louisville said a new program will provide a much-needed stimulus check to those struggling to get by.
The stimulus check program is being called YALift!, which stands for Young Adult Louisville Income for Transformation.
The hope is the guaranteed income will provide a financial foundation for young people.
Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer said in a statement: “It seems almost too simple to say, but the answer to poverty is money.
“Poverty is a lack of resources, often a systemic lack of resources, not a personal failing.”
The money can be used for expenses such as rent, food, school, home expenses, or childcare.
Mr. Fischer added: “Whatever allows them more flexibility in planning and building their futures.”
Stimulus Check Update: How Much Will They Receive And Who Is Eligible?
Those chosen will receive $500 a month for one year.
No strings are attached and they can spend it however they see fit.
The payment is meant to supplement, rather than replace, current income and existing social safety net programs.
Organizers feel projects recognize that participants are the experts in their own lives and need cash to achieve their goals.
YALift! will provide 150 young people, ages 18 to 24, monthly income for a year.
They need to live in one of the three neighborhoods: California, Russell, and Smoketown.
Organizers point to data that shows there is concentrated poverty and large gaps in education, employment, homeownership, health, and life expectancy.
Leaders believe that starting in these neighborhoods will make the largest and most immediate impact.
Any young person interested needs to apply.
