The application period began Thursday for a Los Angeles County guaranteed income program designed to help ease financial uncertainty and fight poverty by providing residents money on a monthly basis for years.

There are several application requirements for LA County’s guaranteed income program known as “Breathe.”

The program will be accepting applications March 31, 2022, through April 13, 2022.

Learn about all the program requirements, how apply, and find out who is eligible for these services below.

How will LA’s guaranteed income program work?

The guaranteed income program will provide 1,000 eligible residents who are selected with a $1,000 per month for three years.

What is a guaranteed income program?

A guaranteed income program is a program that is designed to help residents by providing them with a monthly cash payment with no strings attached or rules on how to spend the money.

The guaranteed income is meant to be supplement and is not meant to replace any other forms of income into a household.

Who is eligible for Breathe?

Eligible applicants must be 18 years old and have a household income under $56,000 for a single person, or $96,000 for a family of four. Applicants also must have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Applicants must meet all the requirements listed on the program’s website in order to be eligible.

• Applicant must be at least 18 years old
• Must live in an LA County neighborhood that falls at or below 100% of the County’s Area Median Household Income (AMI)
• Have been negatively affected in a financial way by the COVID-19 pandemic
• Have a household income that falls at or below 100% of the County’s AMI for a single person household, or have a household income that falls at or below 120% of the County’s AMI for households with two or more persons 
• Not be currently enrolled in another guaranteed income program offered by the county, the city itself or another city, or a public or private entity

How to apply for the LA County income program

The first step is to fill out the online screening tool which checks if someone is eligible by meeting all the requirements.

If you meet all the requirements, the next step is completing the online application survey form.

This application form can be filled out on a computer or a cellphone. If you do not have access to a device to complete the online forms, the website provides resources where you can receive assistance in completing the application.

When will LA announce who was selected for Breathe?

One thousand applicants will be selected at random for the program.

The time and date someone submits their application will not affect their ability to be selected as long as it is within the application dates.

Have other cities launched programs like Breathe?

Breathe is a program run by the county.

The City of El Monte is also launching a guaranteed income program. In El Monte’s program, 125 eligible participants will receive $500 a month for one year. Outreach and enrollment for the program is expected to begin in May.

The City of Long Beach also is aiming to launch a guaranteed income program. Residents living below the poverty line in the 90813 zip code would be eligible to receive $500 per month for a year. Most recently, the city was taking applications for vendors to implement the program.

The City of Los Angeles launched a guaranteed income program in 2021, and applications closed in November.

Why did LA County launch a guaranteed income program?

LA County decided to launch this program after early research found that a program like this would be able to provide residents with financial stability. This would allow them to breathe easier, alleviate stress, and also allow them to fully participate in their communities.