After years of grassroots organizing, coalition-building, and community pressure, Cook County made history with the nation’s first permanent county-level guaranteed income program. Organizers secured $7.5 million in the FY 2026 budget to provide no-strings-attached cash payments to low- and moderate-income families.

This victory was won by the Union for a Guaranteed Income (U4GI), Community Change Action, Workers Center for Racial Justice, Equity and Transformation (E.A.T.), and Economic Security Illinois — who mobilized thousands of residents to demand economic dignity from their elected officials.

“This victory belongs to every community member who refused to accept poverty as normal,” said Byron Hobbs economic freedom organizing director with Community Change Action, who led the grassroots campaign.

The win builds on a two-year pilot program that provided $500 monthly payments to 3,250 households. According to Cook County’s April 2025 pilot program survey findings, 75% of participants felt more financially secure, 94% could handle emergencies, and 73% reported lasting positive impact. Organizers used these results — along with powerful testimonies from recipients — to make the case for permanent funding.

The permanent program comes as 400,000 Illinoisans face SNAP cuts and hundreds of thousands risk losing Medicaid. Rather than wait for federal action, organizers are building local power to create their own safety net.

“Our long-term vision, our North Star, is to win a statewide permanent guaranteed income program for 100,000 eligible Illinoisans,” Hobbs said.

First payments for the permanent program are expected to begin in late summer 2026. County officials are currently gathering community input on eligibility, application processes, and program design — and organizers are ensuring residents have a seat at the table.

WATCH: Hear from the caregivers, parents, and organizers who made this win possible — and why the fight is just beginning