The FORWARD platform has announced a new Household Universal Grants Pilot Program for citizens in the City of Pomona. SNAP, SSI, WIC, and other beneficiaries will be able to apply for the HUG program when it opens applications on June 17, 2024.
The Hug Program will select randomly 250 participants for a paid group and 350 for a control group. Whether you receive SSI, SNAP, WIC or not, payments can be up to $500 per month for 18 months.
Requirements for this payment if you are on SNAP, SSI or WIC
All applicants must live in the City of Pomona, so if you do not meet the residency requirement, you are ineligible. The age is also an important condition, so under 18 citizens cannot apply.
So, if you are 18 years old or older and live in the City of Pomona, you meet both key requirements. The HUG program is for households with kids, so there goes another condition.
Legal Guardians and parents who are at least 18 and live in the City of Pomona may be eligible if they meet the income requirements. So, if you add to the three previous requirements the fact that you are receiving SNAP, SSI, or WIC, you qualify for this program and you can apply.
What if I do not get SNAP, WIC, or SSI?
Apart from being at least 18, living in the City of Pomona, and being a parent or legal guardian, you must have an income below or at 65% of Area Meridian Income (AMI).
Other benefits may also allow you to apply for HUG payments. For example, SBP, NSLP, Federal Pell Grants, Head Start or Early Head Start, Section 8 Vouchers (Housing), LIHEAP, TANF, CHIP, MediCal, Medicaid, and CCDF.
The last way to qualify for these payments, apart from SNAP, WIC, or SSI, is if you experienced negative impact due to the pandemic. For more details visit: https://forwardplatform.com/pomona-hug-program/
