Old Dominion News

On Aug. 25, Fairfax County launched a pilot program, extending a monthly cash benefit of $750 to qualifying families, joining a broader trend of governmental efforts to provide direct economic assistance. The program seeks to alleviate financial challenges while also sparking discussions about maintaining fiscal responsibility within government spending. 

“Many families in Fairfax County are still recovering from the economic impact of COVID-19. We’re proud to join cities and counties locally and around the country to pilot a guaranteed income program here in Fairfax County,” said Lloyd Tucker, director of Fairfax County Neighborhood and Community Services, Fairfax County Times reported.

According to Inside Nova, Fairfax County becomes the third locality in Virginia to launch a pilot guaranteed income program, following Richmond and Alexandria. These experimental initiatives offer consistent monthly cash benefits to a limited number of eligible families within their jurisdiction. The concept of guaranteed income, inspired by Mayor Michael Tubbs' Stockton Economic Empowerment Demonstration (SEED) in 2019, gained traction through initiatives like Mayors for a Guaranteed Income, advocating for a universal income floor.

Per the organization's website, 108 localities have joined the Mayors for a Guaranteed Income network, although Fairfax County is not yet listed among them, Inside Nova reported. The programs exhibit wide variations in terms of implementation specifics, with initiation at the discretion of mayors or county officials. Cash benefits, recipient numbers, and qualification criteria differ greatly. While some localities, such as Alexandria, rely entirely on pandemic relief funds, others like Richmond and Fairfax have partial funding from COVID relief sources. For example, the Richmond Resilience Initiative, launched in October 2020, offers a 24-month period of $500 monthly cash benefits to employed residents not receiving federal benefits, part of the Office of Community Wealth Building workforce, and with dependent children under 18 living at home.

Fairfax County Times reported that the program will use funds from the general county budget and leftover pandemic disaster relief. The initiative, according to county government officials, reflects solidarity with nationwide efforts by cities and counties to implement guaranteed income projects, addressing the ongoing repercussions of COVID-19 on local economies. 

The county believes that the proposed program won't trigger a widespread departure from the workforce. It will be accessible to tax filers and local immigrants, with exclusion criteria for households already receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) to avoid affecting their existing benefits, as reported by Fairfax County Times.

Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity voiced disappointment, noting the absence of a distinct Board vote or public input, according to Fairfax County Times. Herrity emphasized the importance of providing a helping hand to genuinely disadvantaged residents rather than a mere giveaway, citing concerns that such programs tend to yield minimal lasting effects, lack participant requirements, and resemble a form of luck-based assistance rather than a substantive support initiative.