There is a new stimulus payment available in the Golden State, but to be eligible, you must first meet some specific requirements. If you currently reside in California, most specifically the City of Pomona, you could earn up to $9,000 in total benefits. A pilot program known as the Universal Household Grant offered residents of the City of Pomona who were impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak up to $500 each month for eighteen months. Learn more about this stimulus payment initiative, along with all the requirements for 2024. 

How can you apply for the stimulus payment in the City of Pomona?

According to the Pomona stimulus payment initiative, interested applicants should apply before Monday, July 8th, at 11:00 pm. It is important to underscore that households may apply even if they receive state benefits such as Medicaid, MediCal, Pell Grants, or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) program. Additionally, to be eligible to receive the $500 monthly payment for more than one year, applicants should meet the following requirements: 

• Must be 18 years of age or older.
• Live in the city of Pomona.
• You must be the parent or legal guardian of a child under the age of four at the time you apply.
• Have been impacted by the Covid-19 epidemic.
• Set an income limit at or below 65% of the Area Median Income (AMI).
• Must agree to an informed consent form.

Besides providing households with monthly payments to cover their monthly expenses, the Pomona stimulus payment program aims to examine the impact of economic aid on the most needy families, who will be eligible for bonuses of up to $50 if they participate in surveys and training sessions.

Understand how the application process works, step by step

In total, 600 qualified applicants are selected at random for participation in the program and are assigned to one of two groups. In the paid group, two hundred and fifty (250) eligible applicants will be selected. They will receive incentive payments of $500 per month for 18 months. Likewise, another 350 eligible individuals will be selected to participate in the control group and will receive a subsidy of $20 per month for eighteen months for having participated.

Furthermore, candidates should know that regardless of whether they are part of the paid or controlled group, they will receive a $50 bonus for completing each survey administered by the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Pomona’s HUGs program will provide free benefits counseling and resource navigation services to select applicants in both its fee-for-service and control groups. Los Angeles County will also provide additional options, such as career counseling, parenting classes, and financial coaching.

When will eligible households receive their $500 stimulus payment?

From all eligible applications, the Pomona Stimulus Payment Program will randomly select 600 participants. Those selected will be divided into two groups: a payment group of approximately 250 applicants, each receiving a $500 monthly stipend; and a control group of 350 applicants, each receiving a $20 monthly stipend. In contrast, the control group will consist of 350 applicants. Lastly, eligible candidates will receive a stipend of $20 per month for one year and a half. 

There will be another lottery after the start of the payments in which 300 program participants—150 from each group—will be randomly selected to have the resource navigation services at no cost. As previously mentioned, don’t forget that the deadline to apply for these stimulus payments is July 8 at 11:00 p.m. PST, so if you’re interested, you’ll want to apply as soon as possible. On July 10th, selected candidates will be chosen by lottery. Those chosen will receive their first payment from the City of Pomona’s Income Security Program on August 26.

Dive Brief:

• California’s Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board approved a standard on indoor, workplace heat exposure impacting indoor workplaces, the board announced last week.
• The new standards apply to indoor work areas where the temperature or heat index reach 87 degrees Fahrenheit or 82 degrees in areas with a high degree of radiant heat or in workplaces where workers wear clothing or gear that significantly restricts bodily heat loss. It also applies to workplaces where the temperature reaches 82 degrees, though with a large number of exceptions.
• Employers covered by the rule must provide access to clean drinking water and cool down areas to workers, with the latter defined as areas away from radiant heat sources, where workers can sit without touching each other, and where the air temperature is below 82 degrees, unless employers can demonstrate this is infeasible.

Dive Insight:

By the end of May, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recorded 12 consecutive months of record breaking global heat, and June has already seen major heatwaves in California and the eastern United States. Given the steady increase in both global average temperature and global atmospheric carbon dioxide, as measured by NASA, the hazards heat poses to workers are likely to increase.

Because most restaurant work occurs indoors, restaurant workers may be more insulated from the immediate dangers of extreme heat than workers in primarily outdoor occupations, like construction and agriculture, but higher temperatures can strain HVAC systems.

Some restaurant workers have staged workplace actions in protest of high kitchen temperatures. In San Jose, California, workers staged a one-day strike at a Taco Bell in June to protest conditions they said included extreme heat, according to a press release from the California Fast Food Workers Union. Later in June, QSR workers, including Popeyes employees, organized rallies in Durham, North Carolina; Charleston, South Carolina and Atlanta demanding consistent breaks with free water and adequate air conditioning, the Union of Southern Service Workers said in a statement. 

Recently, a viral LinkedIn post claimed Chick-fil-A had provided some of its workers with cooling gear. Such cooling technology, however, is the lowest rung in the hierarchy of controls, a system of classifying safety practices. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, PPE is less likely to be effective than practices that eliminate hazards, replace hazardous conditions with safer conditions, isolate workers from hazards through the built environment, or change the way employees work to avoid encountering hazards. 

The California heat rule states that employers can use administrative controls where engineering controls are not feasible, and PPE where administrative controls are not feasible in an effort to reduce workers’ heat exposure.

The rule requires employers with high-heat work spaces to maintain accurate records of temperature and the heat index, whichever is greater. California will also mandate employers provide cooling breaks to workers in hot conditions.

The Office of Administrative Law has 30 working days from June 20, when the rule was approved, to review the proposed regulation. OSHSB asked the OAL to let the regulation take effect immediately upon approval. 

Colorful firework displays will soon fill the skies across the nation as Americans gear up to celebrate Independence Day next week.

If you are still on the hunt for fireworks shows with admission prices that won’t break the bank, here are a few options.

El Segundo

The city will host its annual Fourth of July event on Independence Day. Daytime events, which include contests, craft stations and community booths, will run from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.

Evening events will start at 5 p.m., with the fireworks show beginning at 9 p.m.  El Segundo residents can get up to four wristbands required for event entry for free with an updated Rec ID card. Nonresidents can get wristbands for $5.

Huntington Beach

The coastal city will host a free fireworks show over the beach, with limited tickets available for reserved seating. Ticket prices start at $32.

Downtown Los Angeles

It’s not a fireworks show, but residents can watch a drone show at Gloria Molina Grand Park for free on Independence Day. Grand Park will once again host the “4th of July Block Party,” complete with art activities, sports games, live music, dancing, and more.

Marina Del Rey

The free 20-minute fireworks show will begin at 9 p.m., but city officials urge attendees to arrive as early as possible to avoid traffic.

Big Bear

The lake’s “Fireworks Specatular” explodes every July 4 and is free to spectators. Fireworks begin between 8:45 and 9:15 p.m. and last about 30 minutes.

Rubidoux

Mt. Rubidoux will host a free “4th of July Spectacular” Tuesday night. The event begins at 9 p.m. and will be held in the area of Mt. Rubidoux Drive and 9th Street.

Santa Clarita

A free show will be held over the Valencia Town Center, starting at about 9:20 p.m.

More information about fireworks shows happening around Southern California can be found here.