KINGSTON – The first round of $500 checks from Ulster County’s Project Resilience Universal Basic Income pilot program has gone out to residents selected to participate.
The 100 participants will receive $500 per month for one year.
The program received over 4,200 applications.
The University of Pennsylvania Center for Guaranteed Income, serving as the research lead for the project, selected 100 qualified individuals to participate and 100 others to participate in a control group of the study through a lottery system.
Participating residents have reported that they plan to use funds to pay for critical needs such as medical expenses, paying down student debt, and working to become a first-time homebuyer.
“Providing our first direct relief payments is a major milestone in this process,” said County Executive Patrick Ryan. “We look forward to seeing the impact on the lives of our residents and participating in the national conversation about the importance of creating this policy to help people in need across the country.”
