St. Louis launches program to pay $500 a month to lower-income residents

ST. LOUIS (AP) — St. Louis is launching a program that seeks to help low-income families by providing them with $500 monthly payments for a year and a half. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the program is a signature priority for Mayor Tishaura Jones, who said Tuesday that the money will go to hundreds of city households. Aldermen approved the program last year. The city will use $5 million in federal pandemic aid. St. Louis native Jack Dorsey, who co-founded Twitter and Square, is contributing $1 million. Applications will be open Oct. 23 to Nov. 1, and the city will start sending the money, on debit cards, in December.