via fox26houston:
HOUSTON – A new, multi-million dollar program was announced Monday in Harris County that looks to help bridge economic inequality and reduce poverty.
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and Commissioner Rodney Ellis introduced the $20.5 million investment program called Uplift Harris. The program will be proposed during Tuesday’s Commissioner’s Court meeting Tuesday.
As the first of its kind for the city, a pilot program would launch later this year, if approved, where families living below 200% of the federal poverty line – approximately $40,000 for a family of four – will receive $500 a month to support household needs.
However, Commissioner Ellis says programs like these have worked in other areas.
“Similar programs in other cities and counties have been shown to increase employment and the incentive to work while reducing poverty,” he said in a press release. “But the benefits go even further. Families report improvements to their physical and mental health and are able to spend more time with their children. They also have a greater sense of self-determination when they are trusted with the resources they need to build a better life.”