The city of El Monte has launched a guaranteed income program that will provide 125 single mothers with $500 per month for one year.
To be eligible, applicants must be female heads of household with no spouse present and dependents under the age of 18, residents of El Monte, and able to verify their income is at or below poverty level.
City Councilmember Alma Puente said the decision to issue the funds was influenced in part by data from 2021, which showed the negative impact of the pandemic on some residents.
"Specifically, seeing how single mothers with no spouse in the household with dependent children were being affected economically," she said, "and in terms of attempting to get back into the workforce if they had been displaced during the pandemic."
The program is funded by the American Rescue Plan Act, which gives cities the chance to help their residents offset the financial burdens from the pandemic.
“This is one of the most direct ways that we can deploy ARPA funds to the most vulnerable residents in our El Monte community,” said El Monte City Manager Alma Martinez in a statement.
To administer and evaluate the program, the city partnered with the RAND Corporation.
Applications for the program opened on March 27, and will remain open until April 15. They can be submitted online or in person.
