Birmingham’s pilot program to offer a “guaranteed income” to 110 single mothers in the city begins accepting applications today.
Applications will be online only.
Under the plan, selected beneficiaries would receive monthly payments of $375 for one year. The money does not come from city funds, but from a grant that will be administered by a non-profit agency.
The guaranteed income plan for single women raising children is promoted by Mayors for a Guaranteed Income, a non-profit corporation based in California.
Mayor Randall Woodfin proposed it for Birmingham and the City Council approved it in October.
The application window opens Monday, Jan. 31, at 8 a.m. and closes at 11:59 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 7.
The applications will be entered into a random drawing by a third party, so there is no priority based on time of application.
The city pilot program is called Embrace Mothers, funded by a $500,000 grant.
Woodfin conceded he has been criticized about bringing the program to Birmingham by those who say it incentivizes mothers being unmarried.
“One of the questions I’ve received is, ‘Is this something to celebrate?’” he said. “We’re not jumping up and down about households being led by single mothers but we are acknowledging that fact. We acknowledge another fact. The City of Birmingham not only has a significant amount of poverty, the City of Birmingham has a significant amount of concentrated poverty.”
Eligible candidates are female-identifying heads of family caring for at least one child under the age of 18. Woodfin said the money is targeted towards single-mother led families because they represent about 60 percent of all City of Birmingham households with children and it’s an effort to help lift them out of poverty.
“This program stands to help these courageous women establish a solid footing during a time that has been very unsteady,” Woodfin said. “Creating stronger, healthier households makes for a stronger healthier city and it is my honor to do all that I can make that happen.”
Through the City of Birmingham’s partnership with MGI, the Embrace Mothers pilot is part of a nationwide research project to evaluate the impact of guaranteed income on individuals and families. MGI’s research partner, Abt Associates, will manage the application process, using randomized selection. The City of Birmingham is not responsible for selecting applicants and will have no knowledge of which residents are awarded funding.
The application is strictly online and will be offered in English and in Spanish. The form is thorough and could take up to an hour to complete. It can be completed on an internet enabled computer or mobile device, though applicants may find it more convenient to complete on a computer due to application length.
The Penny Foundation will be paid $40,000 to administer the program, receiving a $500,000 grant from Mayors for a Guaranteed Income and distributing the money to recipients through debit cards.
East Lake Initiative will receive $10,000 from the city to provide benefits counseling to the 110 recipients, including advising them on how it would affect any other benefits they are eligible for. The Embrace Mothers program is intended to supplement, not replace, any existing benefits.
More than 20 cities are receiving grants to implement the pilot program.
An additional 132 single mothers will be selected to participate in research aspects of the pilot. These individuals will not receive a monthly guaranteed income payment but will be invited to complete surveys throughout the duration of the program to assist in evaluation of its impact. Participants will be compensated for their participation.
For more information about the Embrace Mothers initiative, go to www.birminghamal.gov/embracemothers or call 205-254-2702. Only those selected to participate in the program will be contacted. Selected participants will be contacted directly using the information provided in their application. Those not selected to participate will not be contacted. The City of Birmingham will not have access to the participant data and will not be able to confirm applications selection.