San Francisco artists will receive help from their local government amid the course of the pandemic, which also affected their living. The city mayor has announced that Guaranteed Income Pilot will help their local artists with their financial troubles that might have bothered them during the first wave of the pandemic in the United States.

The project is in collaboration with certain groups such as the Office of Racial Equity from the San Francisco Human Rights Commission, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA), and the Arts Impact Endowment, co-funded by the San Francisco Arts Commission. The said groups collaborated and became the backbone of the Guaranteed Income Pilot that will support the local artists of San Francisco County.

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Guaranteed Income Pilot for San Francisco Artists

The said program was announced by the city mayor of San Francisco, London Breed on March 25, 2021. The program will only accommodate 130 local artists from the San Francisco county, according to an Insider report. The selected artists will receive $1,000 per month for six months. Handing out the economic relief will start in May.

"We knew that this health crisis would impact artists, and artists of color in particular," said Breed. Breed noted that their artists make San Francisco special by bringing life and energy to their city.

City officials noted that the movement of helping vulnerable sectors specifically the artists during the pandemic, is the first of its kind in the United States, according to a KQED report. Apart from the artists who will receive financial help in the bay area, San Francisco has also different financial relief plans for other specific sectors such as Black and Pacific Islander mothers which are called the Abundant Birth Project. Another movement called Dream Keeper Initiative will target the city's Black and African and American community.

Breed furthered that the arts are important to their local economy which is also vital in the city's long-term recovery. Breed also believes that the Guaranteed Income Pilot will help their creative sector and make artists bounce back more resilient than before.

The program of the county follows the announcement of a similar project from a different county. Just like San Francisco, Oakland has also announced a program that will help families for 18 months, according to a KTVU report. 

Guaranteed Income Plan eligibility

To be one of the San Francisco artists to receive the plan, the artists musty apply on YBCA's website. However, an artist must also pass eligibility when they apply for the plan.

Those who can apply include someone who actively engages in the community through dance, creative writing, music, performance art, installation, visual art, theater, and film. Apart from these sets of people, teaching artists, culturally-based craft workers, and arts educators are allowed to apply. Also, the applicant must be 18 years old and above and is a resident of San Francisco in an eligible zip code. Annual income is also taken into account whenever an artist will apply.

San Francisco artists who applied for the Guaranteed Income Pilot will be notified regarding the status of their application on May 11. Moreover, April 15 will be the last date of application for the plan.

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WATCH: San Francisco promises guaranteed income for some artists - from KTVU Fox 2 San Francisco