Maryland Rolls Out Guaranteed Income Pilot
Maryland is one of three states launching a new round of guaranteed income payments this month. The pilot program will provide automatic payments to lower-income residents as part of an experiment to test the policy's impact on economic mobility.
- The guaranteed income program in Prince George's County, known as "Thrive Prince George's," provides $800 per month for two years to two specific groups: young people aged 18-24 who have aged out of the foster care system, and residents aged 60 and older with low incomes. - In addition to the Prince George's County program, Montgomery County launched "MoCo BOOST," which gives 300 households $800 monthly for 24 months. Baltimore City also recently completed a pilot called the "Baltimore Young Family Success Fund," which provided 200 young parents with $1,000 a month for two years. - The "Thrive Prince George's" initiative is a $4 million public-private partnership funded by Prince George's County, the Greater Washington Community Foundation, and the Meyer Foundation. - At the state level, a bipartisan bill has been introduced to create the "Universal Basic Income for Transition-Age Youth Program." If passed, this program would provide $1,000 per month for three years to individuals aging out of the state's foster care system, with payments starting after October 1, 2026. - These local Maryland initiatives are part of a larger national trend, with over 150 cities having launched similar pilot programs. For instance, a program in Maine called Project HOME Trust provided $1,000 monthly to 20 single mothers who had experienced homelessness, and New York City has multiple pilots, including "The Bridge Project" for new mothers and "Cash with Care" for homeless youth. - The Urban Institute, a Washington D.C.-based research organization, is formally evaluating the outcomes of the Prince George's and Montgomery County pilots to measure their impact on factors like housing stability and financial well-being.
