Good news is coming out of Sacramento, California. Starting September 2025, the city will roll out a new guaranteed income program that will provide $850 a month to 200 local artists. The payments will run for a full year, through August 2026, giving each artist a total of $10,200.
The program is officially called the Creative Growth Fellowship Program and is being organized by the Sacramento Office of Arts and Culture. The goal is simple: to give artists the financial breathing room they need so they can focus on creating without worrying about how to pay the bills.
Who is eligible for the monthly payments?
It is not everyone that will receive this money. To qualify for the Sacramento program, you need to meet three main requirements when applying:
- You must live in Sacramento at the time of application.
- You must be 18 years or older.
- You must be able to show your artistic work as proof of your career.
Artists from many different fields were considered. This includes musicians, dancers, theater performers, filmmakers, writers, visual artists, and even traditional and interdisciplinary creators.
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How much money will each artist get?
Every artist that will be selected will receive $850 per month for 12 months, adding up to $10,200 total. In total, Sacramento has set aside $2.04 million for this initiative. The payments are unconditional, meaning artists can use the money however they need—whether that is rent, groceries, supplies, or even new equipment for their craft.
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When will the program start?
The timeline is already set:
- The application window closed on June 20, 2025.
- Between June 21 and August 31, a review committee will go through the applications.
- Those who are selected will start receiving payments on September 1, 2025.
Officials have asked applicants to watch their emails, text messages, and even spam folders carefully so they do not miss an acceptance notice.
Why Sacramento is giving artists direct cash support
This program is part of a growing movement in the United States known as guaranteed income. Unlike traditional social assistance, these payments do not require you to prove how you spend the money. Instead, they give you flexibility and immediate relief.
The idea is that financial stability frees people—especially artists, who often live on inconsistent or unstable income—to focus more fully on their work. The Sacramento initiative is considered one of the most ambitious of its kind in California.
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Examples of similar programs in the U.S.
Sacramento is not the first place to try something like this. In Minnesota, Springboard for the Arts launched a program in 2020 that gave $500 a month to local artists for 18 months. After seeing positive results, the program was expanded to 100 artists and extended until 2025.
Laura Zabel, the executive director of Springboard, explained how life-changing it has been: “Our program is emerging as a national model, demonstrating how guaranteed income can transform the lives of artists, strengthen community resilience, and boost the local economy.”
Political debate around guaranteed income programs
This program is gaining attention, but not everyone agrees with them. Some of the States dominated by Republicans like Texas and Iowa, have tried to block these program arguing that this could lead to government dependency.
On the other side, supporters say the evidence shows these payments do not discourage work. Instead, they reduce poverty, improve mental health, and give artists and workers the stability they need to contribute more to their communities. For artists, in particular, it means being able to create freely and share their work with the public without financial pressure holding them back.
