Fresno EOC pushes to expand guaranteed income after year of success

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A grateful family's lives person been wholly changed.

Ariel and Derek Williams and their young daughter, Aniyah, thanked the Fresno EOC's Advancing Fresno County Guaranteed Income Program connected Tuesday.

"You don't cognize however awesome it is to beryllium capable to respire due to the fact that you don't person the value of finance. It's conscionable beating you down, beating you down, beating you down. And that's what this programme allowed america to bash for a year," Ariel said.

The programme was introduced successful July 2024 arsenic a one-year inaugural that provided $500 per period to 150 low-income families successful Southwest Fresno and Huron.

The wealth was tax-free and funded wholly by backstage foundations.

"You spot families starting to relieve that debt, to question retired caller opportunities and to make opportunities for their children that they didn't get to person before. And I deliberation the lawsuit you tin marque determination is that if this programme could spell connected longer, if it could beryllium permanent, you would spot those trajectories continue," said Dr. Amber Crowell, who spearheaded probe connected the program's impacts.

Over those 12 months, borrowing fell from 40% to 18% among participating families.

Families warring nutrient insecurity dropped from 49% to 17%, and those who reported fiscal accent went from 36% to 24%.

The boost successful funds adjacent allowed the Williams household to bask the things wealth can't buy.

"We're large connected family, and that twelvemonth allowed america to reconnect with my dada and for him to get person connected with his in-laws and vice versa. And I was conscionable truly important to us," Ariel said.

But adjacent with occurrence stories similar this, Fresno County's poorness complaint remains among the highest successful the state.

Which is wherefore the program's designers present person their sights acceptable connected expansion.

"Now we cognize that this is thing that we request to instrumentality to our policymakers, our elected officials, spell to different backing sources and truly marque the case. This is thing that should not conscionable beryllium a 12-month program, not conscionable for 150 families, but truly this is simply a exemplary that works and needs to beryllium expanded," said programme decorator Andy Levine.

The Fresno EOC is present asking anyone to assistance them successful their propulsion to widen the program, calling connected section officials and policymakers to larn from these findings.