Evanston Expands Guaranteed Income Program With 2026 ARPA Funds as Texas Senator Seeks Legal Review
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Sep 12
Evanston Expands Guaranteed Income Program With 2026 ARPA Funds as Texas Senator Seeks Legal Review
1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 12
Summary
Evanston, Illinois, has expanded its guaranteed income program by using remaining American Rescue Plan funds before those dollars must be fully spent by Dec. 31, 2026.
The move reflects a broader scramble by cities to preserve pandemic-era cash pilots as federal aid expires, with most ARPA funds already required to be obligated by the end of 2024.
More than 100 U.S. municipalities have launched guaranteed-income-style pilots since 2018, but many now face a funding cliff as philanthropic and emergency federal support runs down.
Economic Security Project says evidence from over 250 pilots across 40 states and Washington, D.C., supports shifting cash aid toward life transitions such as childbirth, relocation and reentry after incarceration.
The expansion lands in a widening political fight over affordability and direct payments, with Texas state Sen. Paul Bettencourt urging Attorney General Ken Paxton to examine whether such programs are constitutional.