New York City, NY — The Bridge Project has received $1.5 million from the New York City Council budget to expand its guaranteed income program for pregnant individuals and new babies in New York City. The move is a historic milestone, with today’s Council vote marking the first time the city has invested in guaranteed income.

Funds will be deployed immediately, with applications opening November 1st and first payments disbursed December 1, 2024. The funding will support 161 additional pregnant individuals to The Bridge Project’s program in New York City, which currently includes around 1,100 mothers and their babies. The expansion will provide crucial financial assistance to low-income, pregnant individuals who are at risk of homelessness, living in shelters, or transitioning out of shelters. 

Eligible participants will receive a one-time prenatal payment of $2,500, $1,000 per month for 15 months and $500 per month for 21 months. The Council’s funding will support payments during the expansion’s first fiscal year, with philanthropic funding covering the rest. This unconditional cash allowance is designed to support the healthy development of babies during their first 1,000 days of life, a crucial period for emotional, physical and mental growth.

The Bridge Project, which began distributing payments in 2021, has already demonstrated significant positive outcomes. Mothers reported large improvements in the ability to save, lowered volatility within the household and increased housing security. The program is in every borough of New York City, Rochester, Buffalo and Milwaukee, WI. A 500-person expansion across the state of CT is currently underway and will begin payments in November.