Georgia guaranteed income program to provide hundreds of low-income Black women up to $850 monthly

A new program will provide a no strings attached, guaranteed monthly income for hundreds of Black women across Georgia.

The initiative In Her Hands, led by The Georgia Resilience & Opportunity (GRO) Fund and GiveDirectly, intends to give 650 women an average of $850 a month in cash for two years, according to the program's websites. 

GiveDirectly said the program is focused on Black women because they face more systemic barriers like pay inequality and fewer economic buffers than nearly any other demographic in Georgia.

The program is scheduled to first launch in early 2022 in Atlanta's historic Old 4th Ward and later expand to sites in southwest Georgia and metro Atlanta suburbs.

The $13 million project will be one of the largest guaranteed income projects in the South.

Why is the program focused on Black women?

GRO reports that Black women face significant structural barriers to economic security and wealth-building.

Black women in Georgia working full time earn an average of 63 cents for every dollar earned by their white male counterparts. Even when you control for factors of education, experience and location, the pay gap persists, according to The Georgia Budget and Policy Institute. 

The National Women's Law Center reported the lifetime wage and wealth gap for Black women in Georgia is $857,560.

How to apply 

Applications are not being accepted at this time. Programs are targeted to specific populations who are then invited to participate, according to GiveDirectly.