SUCCESS STORIES​

What $500 a Month Means to Zinida Moore

What $500 a Month Means to Zinida Moore

In an experimental program, 5,000 Chicagoans received monthly cash payments from the city for a year, no strings attached. Here’s how the money changed one woman’s life — and how it didn’t.

Are guaranteed-income programs in Illinois working?

Are guaranteed-income programs in Illinois working?

Thousands of Chicago and Cook County residents got $500 a month the past year from programs that are aiming to give people a little financial cushion.

When Jailyn Brown was selected to join a pilot program that gives cash to people struggling to make ends meet, the 23-year-old could hardly get enough hours at the retail store in Chicago where she worked to cover her expenses.