Mayor Lightfoot believes that people living with poverty simply do not have enough money to make ends meet. Chicago’s Cash assistance empowers residents to decide how best to meet their financial needs and goals; it is a simple and powerful way to support residents working to regain stability. During this recovery period—and beyond— the City of Chicago is committed to ensuring our most vulnerable residents have the resources needed to build a better life for themselves and their families.
About the Pilot
The Chicago Resilient Communities Pilot is a $31.5 million dollar commitment from Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the City of Chicago’s Department of Family and Support Services as part of her effort to tackle poverty and put residents at the center of the economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. 5,000 Chicagoans will be selected through an open application and a citywide lottery to receive $500 per month for twelve months, with no strings attached. That means that there are no limitations on how the money can be spent by recipients. The Mayor believes that people living with poverty simply do not have enough money to make ends meet. Cash assistance changes that circumstance and empowers residents to decide how to best meet their financial needs and goals.
Visit www.chicago.gov/cashpilot to see if you are eligible and apply for the lottery.
Applications Open Soon!
Details
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$500 per month for twelve months in cash assistance for 5,000 eligible residents
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The application opens at 9:00 a.m. on April 25, 2022 and closes at 11:59 p.m. on May 13, 2022
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All eligible applicants will be entered into a lottery to receive the funding
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Eligibility requirements:
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You reside in the city of Chicago AND
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You are 18 years of age or older AND
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You have experienced economic hardship related to COVID-19 AND
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Your household income level falls at or below 250% of the Federal Poverty Level
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The Federal Poverty Level is an income measure used to determine eligibility for many programs. It is based on household size – larger households will have higher income cutoffs than smaller households.
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Applicants will also be invited to participate in an optional, paid study researching the impact of cash assistance on residents’ well-being; the choice to participate in the study does not impact a resident’s selection for the program.
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Apply Below
Update:
New Community Alliance will be providing application assistance for technical support:
- 715 West 51st Street Chicago, IL 60609
- Wednesday: 04/27, 05/04, 05/11
- 2:30pm-6:30pm