>>> LAST SUMMER, THE 8000 CHICAGOANS COLLECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE CITIES GUARANTEED INCOME PILOT BEGAN RECEIVING $500 A MONTH.

TO SPEND HOWEVER THEY NEEDED.

THE PILOT , CALLED RESILIENT COMMUNITIES, WAS DESIGNED TO HELP INCOME QUALIFIED CHICAGOANS STABILIZE THEIR FINANCIAL CIRCUMSTANCES.

PRODUCER, ERIKA GUNDERSON, MET TWO OF THOSE PARTICIPANTS TO FIND OUT HOW THE PROGRAM HAS WORKED FOR THEM SO FAR.

>> Reporter: DEONTE A BAKER HAS BEEN A SINGER.

SO, AS AN ADULT, HE DECIDED TO GIVE A PROFESSIONAL MUSIC CAREER A SHOT.

BY SPRING 2022, BAKER SAYS HE WAS ON A ROLL.

>> TIME IS TRICKY IN MUSIC.

YOU HAVE TO SOMETIMES GO OVER OPPORTUNITIES WHEN THEY PRESENT THEMSELVES.

THEN, THE NEXT DAY I HAD A JOB INTERVIEW AND THE NEXT DAY I HAD A GIG.

I HAD A PLAN.

>> Reporter: BUT THAT PROGRESS CAME TO A HALT WHEN HE WAS SILENTLY ATTACKED OUTSIDE HIS APARTMENT.

>> I WAS STABBED AND I BLED OUT.

I BLED OUT AND LOST LIKE A THIRD OF MY BLOOD, HAD TO HAVE THREE BLOOD TRANSFUSIONS.

I HAD TO LEARN HOW TO WALK AGAIN.

YOU KNOW, ME BEING A SINGER, I HAD TO GIVE UP EVERYTHING, BECAUSE I JUST COULD NOT DO IT.

AND JUST AS FAR AS HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT YOURSELF BECAUSE IF YOU CAN'T WORK WITH YOURSELF THAN, YOU KNOW, YOU ARE LIKE, WELL, WHAT IS MY LIFE?

WHAT AM I DOING?

>> Reporter: BAKER WAS STILL RECOVERING FROM THE ATTACK WHEN HE HEARD ABOUT THE CITIES RESILIENT COMMUNITIES GUARANTEED BASIC INCOME PILOT AND DECIDED TO APPLY.

HE SAID HE WAS OVERJOYED TO LEARN HE WAS SELECTED.

>> IT LITERALLY GOT ME OUT OF THE GUTTER.

FINANCIALLY, I WAS ABLE TO GET A CAR FOR MYSELF, I WAS ABLE TO PAY RENT, I WAS ABLE TO REBUILD MY LIFE AND FEEL GOOD ABOUT IT.

>> Reporter: AUGUSTINA TOWNSEND HAD BUILDING ON HER MIND, TOO, WHEN SHE MOVED FROM NIGERIA IN 22.

A FEW YEARS LATER, SHE WAS WORKING AS A CASHIER INTO THE NEXT YEAR, SHE WAS PREGNANT.

SHE RECALLS BRINGING HER NEWBORN SON, MILES, HOME.

>> WE ARE GOING TO TAKE IT ONE DAY AT A TIME.

THAT ONE DAY HAS BROUGHT US TO 16 YEARS AND WE ARE STILL COUNTING.

>> Reporter: FOR THOSE 16 YEARS, TOWNSEND HAS RAISED HIM ALONE.

WHILE SHE SAYS IT HAS BEEN A FINANCIAL STRUGGLE, MAKING SURE MYLES HAS WHAT HE NEEDS IS HER CONSTANT FOCUS.

>> MYLES HAS A DREAM.

MYLES IS A LEADER.

>> Reporter: TOWNSEND WORKS AS A RIDE-SHARE DRIVER.

SHE SAYS THE PANDEMIC SHUTDOWN MADE HER ALREADY FRAGILE FINANCIAL SITUATION WORSENED.

>> I WAS PILING UP ON MY CREDIT CARD BILLS BECAUSE I WAS SPENDING FOR SURVIVAL.

ME BEING A SINGLE MOTHER, I BARELY MAKE NOTHING.

>> Reporter: SHE SAYS THE MONTHLY $500 SHE HAS RECEIVED THROUGH RESILIENT COMMUNITIES HAS HELPED KEEP HER ON THE ROAD BY COVERING CAR COSTS.

WITH FOOD BUDGETING, SHE WAS EVEN ABLE TO TRAVEL WITH MILES TO A SCHOOL BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT.

>> I WILL END UP TWO NIGHTS, INSTEAD OF THREE NIGHTS.

MYLES IS GOING TO EAT, I AM GOING TO EAT.

>> Reporter: WITH BAKER AND TOWNSEND SAY AS THEY APPROACH THE END OF THE PILOT, THEY HAVE RENEWED HOPE FOR THEIR FINANCIAL FUTURES.

>> I HAVE HOPE.

HUGE HOPE.

WE HAVE DREAMS, BIG DREAMS.

>> IT HONESTLY GAVE ME THE CONFIDENCE TO GO AFTER MY JOURNEY, AND I AM LIVING THAT JOURNEY.

I AM MAKING THOSE SHORT-TERM GOALS, WHICH IS GOING TO BRING ME TO LONG TERM GOALS, WHICH IS POSSIBLY GOING TO HELP ME GET THE LIFE I WANT, THAT I ENVISION FOR MYSELF.