Alexandria Guaranteed Income Program To Provide $500 Monthly Payments

ALEXANDRIA, VA — A guaranteed income pilot program funded by federal COVID-19 relief funds is preparing to launch in Alexandria.

Alexandria Recurring Income for Success and Equity, also known as ARISE, will give 170 selected participants $500 a month for 24 months. To be eligible, residents must live in the City of Alexandria, be 18 or older, and have households income at or below 50 percent of the area median income. Residents can use an eligibility tool to see if they qualify.

For example, 50 percent of the area median income for one person in a household is $49,850. Income for a household of two is $56,950, income for three is $64,050, and income for four is $71,150.

The application for ARISE will become available at 9 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 31 at www.alexandriava.gov/ARISE. The deadline to apply will be 11:59 p.m. on Nov. 9. The application will be provided in English, Spanish, Amharic and Arabic.

The 170 people chosen for the program will be randomly selected. The first $500 monthly payments are expected to go out the last week of January 2023.

According to the city's website, participants will not need to pay tax on the $500 monthly payments. The Virginia Department of Social Services has confirmed the $500 monthly payments will not affect Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, Child Care Subsidy and unemployment insurance. However, it will be counted as income affecting eligibility for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Social Security Insurance. A decision has not yet been announced on how it affects Medicaid eligibility in Virginia.

The ARISE guaranteed income program is funded by $3 million of the city's $59.6 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds.

For more information, visit www.alexandriava.gov/ARISE.