St. Louis families say they are grateful for $500 monthly basic income help

St. Louis Public Radio | By Rachel Lippmann | Published May 9, 2024

Participants in St. Louis’ guaranteed basic income program say they appreciate the safety net the effort has provided.

Five of the 540 recipients met Wednesday with Mayor Tishaura Jones and Treasurer Adam Layne to share how they are spending the money and what other resources the city might provide. The program uses $5 million in federal COVID relief funds, plus a $1 million donation from tech entrepreneur Jack Dorsey to give families $500 monthly checks.

To be eligible for the program, families had to live in the city and be the parent or legal guardian of a minor enrolled in a city public or charter school. They could also make no more than 170% of the federal poverty level, which is about $53,000 for a family of four.

“We were very specific and intentional about the families we wanted to reach, which were families who were too rich for benefits but too poor for anything else,” Jones said.

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