A new guaranteed income program will give hundreds of dollars to eligible households in Virginia per month for two years. The authorities started accepting applications for the guaranteed income program on October 31.

Those who haven’t yet applied for this guaranteed stimulus check from Virginia need to hurry as the applications can only be filed until November 9. A point to note is that this guaranteed income program is specifically for the residents of Alexandria.

Alexandria’s ARISE Program: What Is It?

Applications for Alexandria’s ARISE program opened on October 31. ARISE (Alexandria’s Recurring Income for Success and Equity) is a pilot program that guarantees a basic income to hundreds of local families.

“Guaranteed income is a proven tool to help families secure stronger financial footing and take steps to move up the economic ladder,” Mayor Justin Wilson said earlier.

From the total applications, the program will randomly select 170 persons via lottery. The application for the program ends on November 9 (11:59 p.m.). The selected persons will get $500 per month for two years.

Authorities expect to send the first guaranteed stimulus check from Virginia in January 2023. The program is expected to cost about $3 million, and the funding for the program comes from the federally-provided American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The recipients will be free to use the money on anything they want.

“The payment is unconditional, with no requirements and no restrictions on how it is to be spent,” the program’s website says.

Guaranteed Stimulus Check From Virginia: Who Will Get It?

To be eligible for the guaranteed stimulus check from Virginia, residents must be at least 18 years old. Also, applicants’ annual income should be less than 50 percent of the Area Median Income. This means that the annual income for a family of four shouldn’t be more than $71,150.

Applications for the program can only be submitted online. No documents will be needed at the time of application. If you aren’t sure whether or not you are eligible for this guaranteed income program, you can take the ARISE screening. The screening will help you determine if you meet the requirements to apply or not.

Help is available at several locations across the city to those who need assistance with filling out the application. Moreover, all public libraries offer internet or computer access at no charge to those who require such assistance to fill out an application.

Researchers will work with the recipients to find out whether or not the program is achieving the desired objectives. For more information on the ARISE program, visit this link.

Many other cities are also experimenting with similar guaranteed income programs. Richmond, Virginia for instance, has come up with a similar program but with just 18 families. Ellenville, New York is also experimenting with a similar program.

This article originally appeared on ValueWalk

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