Launched in June 2021 by The Monarch Foundation, The Bridge Project is New York City's first guaranteed income program for low-income mothers and their babies.
600
participants
$500-$1,000
monthly payment
3 Years
duration
$16,200,000
invested in community
| Pilot Features | |
|---|---|
| Number of Participants | 600 individuals |
| Median Household Income | $12,654 per year |
| Amount | $500-$1,000 |
| Frequency | Every two weeks |
| Program Dates | June 2021-June 2025 |
| Eligibility | Have at least one child up to 1 year old or currently pregnant, live in an eligible zip code, and have an annual household income under $52,000. No SSN or ITIN required. |
The Bridge Project is New York City’s first guaranteed income program. Launched in June 2021 by The Monarch Foundation, The Bridge Project is designed to support low-income mothers in New York City during the first 1,000 days of their children’s lives by providing them with consistent, unconditional cash on a biweekly basis. The first phase of the Bridge Project provides either $500 or $1,000 a month to 100 low-income mothers living in Washington Heights, Inwood, and Central Harlem for three years, and is a randomized controlled trial in partnership with the University of Pennsylvania's Center for Guaranteed Income Research. The program has since expanded to a second phase, which launched recruitment in April 2022. The program dramatically expanded to include a cohort of 500 additional low-income, pregnant mothers across the project's existing neighborhoods in Northern Manhattan, along with the neighborhoods of East Harlem, the Central Bronx, and the South Bronx. Selected mothers are receiving $1,000 a month for the first 18 months of the program and $500 a month for the last 18 months, all on a biweekly basis. The program hopes to continue to expand throughout various neighborhoods and boroughs across New York City to support mothers and their babies and alleviate child poverty. The demographic and spending data on this page is based on 100 mothers in the first phase of The Bridge Project.
Data last updated on 9/30/2023.
$44,797
$38,000
21.2%
20%
37.3%
31%
31.2%
40%
8.5%
8%
STOCKTON
STATE MEDIAN
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 37.8%, followed by Food and groceries (33.6%) and Housing & Utilities (8.8%).
