Rise Up Cambridge is a $22 million commitment from the City of Cambridge to provide assistance to families with kids using funds received by the City from the federal American Rescue Plan Act. It provides direct cash to low-income Cambridge households with children at or under 21 years of age, earning at or below 250 percent of the Federal Poverty Level. Rise Up Cambridge will enable these households to receive $500 per month for 18 months.
The only city-wide cash assistance program of its kind in the country, Rise Up Cambridge aims to address the growing economic divide and racial inequities in Cambridge, while maintaining our city’s diverse population and continuing to be a place where all families can thrive. Direct cash assistance is an effective anti-poverty strategy and empowers residents to decide how to best meet their financial needs and goals. Cambridge is utilizing this approach to positively impact some of our most vulnerable families as they strive for economic stability, access to education and opportunity, and improved health in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This program is being run in partnership with the Office of Mayor Siddiqui, Cambridge Economic Opportunity Committee (CEOC), and the Cambridge Community Foundation.