Black Prosperity Initiative Announced: Applications Launch Monday, April 28th, 2025!
Conscious Homestead and The Root Social Justice Center are proud to launch the Black Prosperity Initiative, a Direct Cash Transfer program designed to promote economic stability, prevent houselessness, and provide financial assistance to marginalized communities in Vermont. This initiative will deliver monthly stipends to 20 marginalized Vermont residents statewide, helping cover housing costs.
Funded through a generous donation from Mackenzie Scott to the Vermont Food Bank, the First Step: Black Mutual Aid Board allocated $133,600 each to Conscious Homestead and The Root Social Justice Center to implement this initiative. Of these funds, $200,000 will go directly to marginalized Vermonters, with the remaining $67,200 covering administrative costs. This initiative continues the national call for reparations and wealth redistribution.
Addressing Housing Disparities in Vermont
Vermont Public reports that the state ranks 4th nationally for houselessness per capita, with stark racial disparities: Black residents, just 1.4% of the population, make up over 8% of those unhoused. The Black Prosperity Initiative seeks to alleviate these disparities by providing $10,000 annually in monthly increments to 20 marginalized residents for housing costs. Priority will be given to those living with multiple intersections of systemic oppression.
The program will launch on Monday, April 21st, 2025, with the first disbursements starting Juneteenth 2025 and running through Juneteenth 2026. To qualify, applicants must be Vermont residents (18+) who plan to stay in the state. All applications will be considered. Please note that if you receive Social Security or Supplemental Security Income, you may be at risk of losing your benefits if you participate in this program.
Building a Case for Reparations
The Black Prosperity Initiative also aims to document participants' experiences and outcomes, using Social Determinants of Health as a framework. The data will demonstrate how financial assistance can improve quality of life and bolster the case for universal basic income and reparations for marginalized communities. The program's broader goal is to inspire other organizations, legislators, and individuals to support similar initiatives.
Partner Organizations Driving Change
Conscious Homestead, based in Winooski, centers Black and Brown land-based healing and community care through programs like the Community Care Share, Flying Fish Gardening Collective, and Herbal Care Package Program. The Root Social Justice Center, founded in 2013 in Brattleboro, serves as a hub for racial and social justice. Through its Mutual Aid Supportive Network (MASN), The Root has distributed over $30,000 to support BIPOC Vermonters with housing, medical, and other essential costs.
Apply (multiple translations available) and learn more about Conscious Homestead and The Root Social Justice Center at www.conscioushomestead.org and www.therootsjc.org. Follow on Instagram: @conscioushomestead and @therootsocialjustice.
Please direct any questions to the blackprosperityvt@gmail.com.