2,000 families could be getting extra cash every month with Harris County Uplift Program

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Harris County is launching an income pilot program, which will provide $500 in guaranteed cash payments to nearly 2,000 eligible low-income households for 18 months.

The county will begin accepting applications for Uplift Harris on Monday until Jan. 26. Eligible applicants must live 200% below the federal poverty line, which is about $60,000 for a household of four.

They must also live in one of these targeted high-poverty zip codes: 77026, 77028, 770033, 77050, 77051, 77060, 77081, 77091, 77093, and 77547.

Another way to qualify is to participate in the ACCESS (Accessing Coordinated Care and Empowering Self-Sufficiency) Harris County program. ACCESS serves vulnerable populations whose needs span multiple public benefit programs, including financial support and assistance.

According to Commissioner Rodney Ellis, nearly four in 10 residents in Harris County would not be able to afford a $400 emergency expense. The county said it has one of the highest rates of economic inequity in the U.S., with 16.4 percent of residents living in poverty.

Leaders hope the extra cash will help struggling families pay for essential needs, such as rent, groceries, transportation, housing, utilities, healthcare, and more. But ultimately, recipients can spend the funds however they want.

The county said 1,928 households will be selected as beneficiaries of Uplift Harris. Since officials anticipate there will be more applicants than available funding, recipients will be chosen at random through a lottery process.

Residents who are ultimately selected for the program will receive their first monthly cash award as early as March.

The funding is made possible by a $20.5 million grant from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The Harris County Commissioners Court approved the funding back in June.