Launched in June 2021, The Bridge Project serves low-income mothers and their babies in New York City as well as Rochester and Buffalo. In 2024, The Bridge Project expanded to Milwaukee and Connecticut.
1,300
participants
Up to $1,000 a month
monthly payment
3 Years
duration
$30,000,000
invested in community
| Program Features | |
|---|---|
| Number of Participants | 1,300 individuals |
| Amount | Up to $1,000 a month |
| Frequency | Every two weeks |
| Program Dates | June 2021-ongoing |
| Eligibility | The Bridge Project’s eligibility varies depending on location, but targets low-income pregnant individuals. No SSN or ITIN is required. |
The Bridge Project is New York City’s first guaranteed income program. Launched in June 2021, The Bridge Project is designed to support low-income mothers in the United States during the first 1,000 days of their children’s lives by providing them with up to $1,000 monthly in consistent, unconditional cash. The Bridge Project currently serves more than one thousand mothers across several cohorts in every borough of New York City, as well as Rochester and Buffalo. In 2024, The Bridge Project expanded to Milwaukee and Connecticut. Since launching, the project has moved from a pilot to program approach. Policy efforts include advancing the Mothers and Infants Lasting Change (MILC) Allowance in New York, which would offer 15,000 mothers across the state cash payments for the first years of their baby’s life. *The demographic and spending data on this page is based on the initial 100 mothers in the first phase of The Bridge Project.
Data last updated October 1, 2024.
$44,797
$38,000
21.2%
20%
37.3%
31%
31.2%
40%
8.5%
8%
STOCKTON
STATE MEDIAN
The Bridge Project
$12,654
New York City, NY
$74,694
Annual Household Income (Mean)
$14,520
Sample Size
100
Avg. Age of Respondent
29
Avg. Children in Household
2
Avg. Household Size
3
Male
0%
Female
100%
Other
0%
Married
23%
Single
52%
Partnered/In-Relationship
25%
Yes
75%
No
25%
White
20%
African American
39%
American Indian/Alaska Native
0%
Asian
0%
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0%
Latino
N/A%
Other/Mixed
41%
Hispanic
74%
Non-Hispanic
26%
English
64%
Spanish
34%
Other
2%
The guaranteed income pilot launched during a period of dynamic change and economic challenges for pilot participants. The chart below situates this pilot in the context of unemployment and inflation.
The data in this pie chart shows aggregate spending for guaranteed income participants in New York City, NY. This includes all non-cash expenditures from the participants' pre-paid debit card that is loaded with guaranteed income payments every two weeks.
Spending breakdown
Retail sales and services accounted for the largest share of spending, at 43.57%, followed by Food and groceries (38.89%) and Housing & Utilities (10.96%).
