Today, Cook County became the first county to establish permanent funding for guaranteed income at the county level. The Cook County Board of Commissioners approved $7.5 million for the program through its FY 2026 budget, which totals $10.12 billion.
With permanent funding for guaranteed income, the county is providing relief for low-income families “who have been severely impacted by inflation and federal budget cuts,” the Economic Security Illinois (ESIL) wrote in a press release. ESIL works in partnership with Cook County on the guaranteed income program.
In addition to ESIL, the program is the result of on-the-ground advocacy from organizations such as Community Change Action, a national organization focused on empowering low-income communities and Chicago-based groups, including the Workers Center for Racial Justice and Equity and Transformation.
“We did it. Thousands of Cook County residents supported this effort, which demanded a future where no one has to choose between medicine, rent, and groceries. This victory belongs to every community member who refused to accept poverty as normal,” Byron Hobbs, the economic freedom organizing director with Community Change Action, who led the grassroots campaign, wrote in a press statement.
Cook County first launched its Promise Guaranteed Income Pilot in 2022. The $42 million pilot program provided $500 monthly payments to over 3,000 residents for two years. Last year, Mayor Brandon Johnson ended Chicago’s guaranteed income program to fill the city’s 2025 budget gap. Both Cook County and Chicago’s programs relied heavily on federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act.
Guaranteed income programs have been proven to provide stability and much-needed help for families in various ways, including allowing them to save money, pay off debts and improve their well-being.
“At a time when the federal government is stepping back from its responsibilities to working families, Cook County is leading the way to ensure people can afford basic necessities,” ESIL Director Sarah Saheb wrote in a statement. “Cook County’s guaranteed income pilot was a historic success, and we are thrilled to see Board President Toni Preckwinkle make this program permanent. ESIL looks forward to partnering on the next phase of this nation-leading program as we ensure even more money, opportunity, and freedom reach families across the county.”
