DC will grant financial aid of up to $10,000 in cash to 600 families transitioning out of homelessness, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced on Monday.
The funding comes as part of a new pilot program titled Career Mobility Action Plan (MAP).
The $24.8 million program aims at providing housing and income assistance, as well as career support, and other aids, to families who are transitioning from homelessness.
Cash assistance will help these families advance their careers despite losing certain benefits such as food support, health care, childcare, and housing benefits, after starting to earn a higher income, an issue known as “benefits cliff.”
“We know that with time and support, we can empower families to reach their goals and their highest potential,” Bowser said in a statement. “With the Career MAP program we are sending families a simple message: we continue to believe in you and we’ve got your back.”
In the first phase of the pilot, 300 DC families will receive a total of $11.7 million over the course of the next three years. The federal funding will be available to the District under the American Rescue Plan Act.
A total of 300 families have already signed up for the pilot, according to the Mayor’s Office.
With Monday’s announcement, the program will expand with an extra $13.1 million to include another 300 families, who will be able to register next year.
Participating families will continue to receive support for up to five years.
“For many District residents working hard to achieve their career, economic and family goals, the sudden and often unexpected shift in public benefits can adversely impact their households,” Laura Green Zeilinger, head of the DC Department of Human Services, said, adding that the program will remove barriers to economic mobility.