Saturday, June 6, 2026

LA County Asks All 88 Cities to Join “Pledge for Shared Prosperity”

Los Angeles County is asking all 88 of its cities to sign a new “Pledge for Shared Prosperity,” an anti-poverty initiative that commits local governments to help connect residents with cash aid, tax credits and benefit programs as eligibility rules tighten.

The pledge sets concrete targets: enrolling 10,000 more families in CalWORKs (California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids), the state’s main cash-assistance program; increasing the money families receive through the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit by 10 percent; and keeping residents enrolled in the food-assistance program CalFresh and in Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid coverage.

Cities that sign on will receive outreach resources, an implementation guide and access to the County’s newly launched State of Poverty Dashboard to track results. Some may also qualify for microgrants to fund outreach with community health workers and grassroots organizations.

The initiative comes as federal and state benefit rules tighten. Since June 1, 2026, about 260,000 Los Angeles County CalFresh recipients have been subject to new work requirements. In October 2026, federal contributions toward emergency care for undocumented residents will fall from 90 percent to 50 percent. And on Jan. 1, 2027, new Medi-Cal work requirements take effect for adults ages 19 to 64, affecting an estimated 1.4 million county residents — many of whom are expected to lose coverage.

“Poverty is not inevitable. Solving it requires every jurisdiction working together and building on solutions that make a difference,” said Second District Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell, who is urging her colleagues across all 88 cities to sign.

Fourth District Supervisor Janice Hahn framed the effort as a response to federal cuts. “We can’t undo those cuts, but we can work to make sure families receive every benefit, tax credit and resource that are still available to them,” she said.

Kristina Meza, executive director of the County’s Poverty Alleviation Initiative, said the County “stands ready to work across jurisdictions to ensure families get the support they need.”

Cities can review the pledge at ceo.lacounty.gov/poverty-pledge. Residents can apply for CalFresh, Medi-Cal and CalWORKs at benefitscal.com, with a full timeline of eligibility changes at lacounty.gov/impacts.