Guaranteed Income Works:  RICHMOND, VA

About

The Richmond Resilience Initiative (RRI), Mayor Levar Stoney’s guaranteed income pilot, was established in 2020 to support residents in the city of Richmond, Virginia impacted by the ‘Cliff Effect.’ Through its partnership with Mayors for a Guaranteed Income and UpTogether, the City of Richmond’s Office of Community Wealth Building which falls within the Human Services portfolio, is engaging individuals and families who do not make a living wage nor do they qualify for federal benefits due to their household income. The Richmond Resilience Initiative, which is in its third cohort, strives to help residents thrive and not merely survive by offering a supplement to their income in the amount of $250-$500 monthly for 24 consecutive months. Additionally, the Office of Community Wealth Building, in collaboration with Help Me Help You and the Richmond City Treasurer’s Office of Financial Empowerment, is providing program participants, specifically in the second and third cohorts, with financial literacy education. The Richmond Resilience Initiative is supported through funding provided by Mayors for a Guaranteed Income, the Robins Foundation, the Richmond Memorial Health Foundation, and the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). It is administered by the Office of Community Wealth Building with additional oversight provided by the Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for Human Services