Atlanta launches I.M.P.A.C.T. guaranteed income program to assist low-income residents

Applications accepted online for one-week only

ATLANTA—The applications process is now open for the city’s guaranteed income pilot program for low-income Atlantans.

I.M.P.A.C.T. (Income Mobility Program for Atlanta Community Transformation) will serve 300 City of Atlanta low-income residents who will receive $500 per month in guaranteed income for one year.

The Urban League of Greater Atlanta began accepting applications for the program today, Jan. 26, at 8 a.m. on behalf of the city and Mayor Andre Dickens.

In one of her final acts as mayor, Keisha Lance Bottoms announced a partnership between the City of Atlanta and the Urban League of Greater Atlanta to launch the new initiative to examine the benefit of a guaranteed basic income to help end poverty.

The pilot project will serve 300 City of Atlanta residents who are at least 18 years old and live below 200% of the federal poverty guideline ($55,500 for a household of four). I.M.P.A.C.T. participants will receive $500 per month in guaranteed income during the 12-month pilot period. Applications and surveys must be completed online at www.ulgacoaimpact.org between Jan. 26 starting at 8 a.m. until 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 2 to be considered for the program.

Any low-income Atlantan who believes he or she meets the I.M.P.A.C.T. eligibility criteria may complete the online application and survey. The final program participants will be selected at random from all those who complete the application and survey, including qualifying information.

For individuals in need of application and survey support or more information about the program, including the application process, call the I.M.P.A.C.T. guaranteed income support line at 404-631-6600 or visit www.ulgacoaimpact.org.

Partnership for Parity

The City of Atlanta has donated $2 million to the local nonprofit organization, Urban League of Greater Atlanta, to administer the pilot program. National partner Mayors for a Guaranteed Income will also donate $500,000 to fund the administration of the program’s day-to-day operations.

Urban League of Greater Atlanta will administer the daily operations of the I.M.P.A.C.T. program and has recently started first guaranteed income payments to a group of 25 participants.

“We are honored that former Mayor Bottoms and Mayor Dickens have entrusted the Urban League of Greater Atlanta to facilitate I.M.P.A.C.T.,” said Nancy Flake Johnson, president and C.E.O. of the Urban League of Greater Atlanta. “The timing couldn’t be more relevant to so many families hurt by the COVID-19 pandemic. We are in an excellent position to partner with the Mayor and the City based on our 100 plus years history of proven programs to empower people in Atlanta who have been marginalized. This initiative aligns with our new Financial Empowerment and Emergency Relief Center (F.E.E.R.C.) – an integrated person-to-person economic mobility framework. It gives us another tool to help clients bridge their financial gaps and move toward financial independence.”

In announcing the program, then-Mayor Bottoms said:

“We are seizing this moment to realize Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision for addressing economic security and pervasive poverty. Dr. King said, ‘The curse of poverty has no justification in our age.’ In the spirit of Dr. King’s vision for the beloved community, the launch of the I.M.P.A.C.T. program takes us another step closer to creating One Atlanta — an affordable, resilient, and equitable Atlanta. Thank you to the Urban League of Greater Atlanta and Mayors for a Guaranteed Income for leading and joining us in this impactful work.”

Roots of the Guaranteed Income Initiative

Initially championed by Dr. King to fight poverty, a guaranteed income is an unconditional monthly cash payment given directly to individuals to use for their most urgent needs. It is meant to supplement the existing social safety net and can be a critical tool for improving racial and gender equity.

Mayors for a Guaranteed Income (MGI) was founded in June 2020 by former Stockton (CA) Mayor Michael Tubbs with then-Mayor Bottoms and their peers from across the country. MGI is a coalition of more than 60 mayors committed to advancing guaranteed income in their cities. In addition to pilots, MGI also advocates for cash-based policies at the federal level.

“Martin Luther King Jr. spoke about the need to abolish poverty through a guaranteed income more than half a century ago, and now his vision will finally be realized in his hometown,” said former Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs. “I am thrilled that the City of Atlanta is joining the ranks of our movement to uplift and empower communities through a guaranteed income.”