Cambridge Recurring Income for Success + Empowerment (RISE), MA

Cambridge RISE was launched in 2021 by Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui.

130

participants

$500

monthly payment

1.5 Years

duration

$1,170,000

invested in community

Pilot Features  
Number of Participants130 individuals
Median Household Income$18,968 per year
Amount$500
Frequencymonthly
Program DatesSeptember 2021-February 2023
EligibilitySingle (unmarried) caregiver of at least one child under the age of 18, resident in Cambridge, with an income below 80% of the area median income.

About the Cambridge Recurring Income for Success + Empowerment (RISE), MA

Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui saw early in the pandemic the positive outcomes of providing financial assistance to residents through the Mayor’s COVID-19 Disaster Relief Fund and began thinking of ways to address income inequity by organizing a longer strategy guaranteed income. Early 2023, the City of Cambridge will allocate $22 million of American Rescue Plan funding to build on the work of Cambridge RISE. This allocation will make Cambridge the only city in the country to provide cash assistance to all families in poverty, with children at or under 21 years of age, under 250% of the federal poverty level. Cambridge RISE aims to: 1) Advocate for financial stability and income equity of households in Cambridge; 2) Determine the impact on residents receiving $500 monthly payments compared to those who did not receive the funds; and 3) Contribute to the national conversation around guaranteed income as a solution to poverty. To learn more about Cambridge RISE, click on the city seal above.

Data last updated on 12/20/2022.

Isa

"Being able to receive the money directly in my bank account, really helps to eliminate the stress and the shame from using an EBT card at the store."

Isa

Cambridge Recurring Income for Success + Empowerment (RISE), MA

Cambridge, MA

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