Universal Basic Income in the USA

UBI in the US
Contents
  1. Social movement and implementation
  2. Task groups
  3. Basic income on a permanent basis
  4. Alaska Permanent Fund (since 1982)
  5. Payments to the Cherokee Indians (Casino Dividend since 1997)
  6. Experiments
  7. The first series of experiments in the 1960s and 1970s
  8. The Seattle and Denver Experiment (SIME/DIME) 1970-1975
  9. The Second Series of Experiments in the Twenty-First Century
  10. Experiment in Oakland, CA (2016)
  11. Magnolia Mothers Fund Pilot in Jackson, Mississippi (2018-2019, 2020-2021, from 2021)
  12. The Stockton, California Experiment (2019-2020)
  13. San Francisco Homeless Experiment (2020)
  14. 5-Year Pilot in Hudson, NY (from 2020)
  15. Micropilot for youth in New Orleans, Louisiana (2020-2021)
  16. Pilot for single fathers in Columbia, South Carolina (from 2021)
  17. Sustainability Project in Ulster County, New York (from 2021)
  18. Pilot for single caregivers in Cambridge, Massachusetts (from 2021)
  19. A 3-year “Bridge” experiment for low-income mothers in New York City (from 2021)
  20. Outside the Experiment
  21. Mayors for Income Guarantee Project (from 2020)
  22. Basic Income in Chelsea, Massachusetts (from 2020)
  23. Basic income for foster youth in Santa Clara County, California (from 2020)
  24. Basic Income for Working Families in Richmond, Virginia (from 2020)
  25. Basic Income for Artists in San Francisco, California (2021)
  26. Basic Income for New York Artists (starting in 2022)
  27. Basic Income for African-American Entrepreneurs in Oakland, CA (from 2020)
  28. Basic Income in Compton, California (from 2020)
  29. Basic Income for Women Caregivers in Los Angeles (as of 2020)
  30. Basic Income for Families with Children in Los Angeles (effective 2022)
  31. Basic Income in Chicago, Illinois (from 2022)
  32. Basic Income in Rochester, NY (effective 2022)
  33. Basic Income in Montgomery County, Maryland (effective 2022)
  34. Basic Income in Arlington County, Virginia (effective 2021)
  35. Basic Income in Alexandria, Virginia (from 2021)
  36. Basic Income in Newark, New Jersey (from 2021)
  37. Basic Income in Ithaca, NY (from 2022)
  38. Basic Income in Providence, Rhode Island (effective 2021)
  39. Basic income for nonwhite families with children in Marin County, California (from 2021)
  40. Basic income for fathers with children in Columbia, North Carolina (starting in 2021)
  41. Basic Income for Families with Children in St. Paul, Minnesota (Effective 2021)
  42. Income Security for Low-Income Persons in South San Francisco, California (effective 2021)
  43. Basic income for ex-convicts in Florida (from 2022)
  44. Basic income for non-white families with children in Oakland, California (from 2021)
  45. Basic income for single mothers in Birmingham, Alabama (effective 2021)
  46. Basic Income for low-income people in Atlanta, Georgia (from 2022)
  47. Basic Income in Gary, Indiana (effective 2021)
  48. Basic Income in Paterson, New Jersey (effective 2021)

Social movement and implementation

The U.S. was the first to experiment with unconditional basic income: 4 experiments were implemented in the 1960s and 1970s and about a dozen have been launched in the last few years.

The first bill to introduce unconditional basic income in the U.S. was introduced by President Richard Nixon in 1969. The initiative was opposed by Democrats. As a result, Congress did not support the bill. The president’s second attempt, made some time later, also failed to gain congressional approval.

In the summer of 2017, Hawaii’s two state houses voted unanimously in favor of a bill to create a task group to evaluate the introduction of an unconditional basic income.

Basic income has been paid regularly to Alaskans since 1982, to Cherokee Indians in North Carolina since 1997, and in 2020 the Mayors for a Guaranteed Income Coalition was created, with a separate section of the website dedicated to it.

Active participants in the basic income movement include:

  1. The U.S. Basic Income Guarantee Network (USBIG Network), an informal organization founded in 1999 that promotes the discussion and introduction of basic income in the United States.
  2. The Income Movement, acting to elect officials who will pass basic income legislation in the coming years. The movement’s website shows support for a basic income in the U.S.: as of April 2021, 82% of the population and 62 of 535 members of Congress were in favor of its introduction.
  3. Basic Income Action is a non-profit organization founded in 1999 to provide a basic income for every American by “educating and organizing people to take action.” The organization’s long-term goal is to introduce basic income to every person in the world.
  4. The Universal Income Project, working to popularize and practice basic income in the country.

The idea of the basic income is gaining popularity among the population, and is supported in the political arena of the country. In particular, the basic income was part of the campaign program of 2020 presidential candidate Andrew Young, who dropped out of the election race.

There are task groups to study basic income, and the 2020 pandemic accelerated the process of testing the idea and led to dozens of different projects outside the experiment.

The University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Guaranteed Income Research (CGIR) was created in 2020.

Such activity is due to the enormous social inequality in the country and the concentration of enormous capital in private hands. According to Forbes, most billionaires have U.S. citizenship. In the spring of 2021 the total wealth of the 724 richest Americans was estimated at $4.5 trillion.

Task groups

A number of U.S. cities have task groups exploring various methods of alleviating poverty and providing economic security to the population through universal basic income payments.

– Task Group on Income Security in Newark, New Jersey

A report from the Newark Income Guarantee Task Group says many families are just $400 a month short to cope with unforeseen expenses and situations.

The commission concluded that an unconditional basic income must be implemented “through both advocacy and direct action.”

– O4W Economic Security Task Group in Atlanta, Georgia

In January 2021, the O4W Economic Security Task Group released a review of economic security and the possibility of a decent life for everyone in Atlanta, concluding that “current approaches to financial security are failing.”

– Task Group on Sustainable Families in Chicago, Ill.

– Basic Income Task Group in Hartford, Connecticut

– Guaranteed Income Advisory Group in San Francisco, California

Basic income on a permanent basis

Alaska Permanent Fund (since 1982)

Since 1982, every resident of the state of Alaska who has lived there for at least one year has received an annual basic income payment from the Alaska Permanent Fund. The exception is incarceration time, during which payments are suspended.

The fund receives at least 25% of the state’s oil and gas revenues each year. The fund invests these funds in stocks, bonds and other assets and then distributes to the residents of the state the income from such investments.

According to the idea of the creator of such a payment system, Governor Jay Hammond, every Alaskan resident should receive the same amount of unconditional basic income every year – the same as everyone else. This is the way the governor has chosen to overcome extreme poverty in the state. Alaska is indeed a low-income state.

The amount of basic income is fairly insignificant and depends heavily on oil and gas prices. On average, it ranges from $1,000 to $2,000 per year per person. In 2015, when oil prices were high, each Alaskan resident received $2,072, meaning $8,288 for a family of 4.

Residents appreciate the beneficial effects of basic income on the state’s social and economic well-being.  In a 2017 survey, nearly 60 percent of Alaska respondents said they would be willing to pay more taxes to the state if needed to preserve the fund due to a possible drop in oil prices.

In 2016, the University of Alaska conducted a study and released the results of such unconditional payment policies:

  1. the poverty rate dropped by 20 percent. As a result, Alaska became the state with the lowest level of inequality in the entire country;
  2. people did not work less: employment was flat in the early years of the payments, but the average part-time employment rate has declined by less than 2% since then, mostly on account of women;
  3. the increased purchasing power of the population led to the creation of 1,000 additional jobs.

Payments to the Cherokee Indians (Casino Dividend since 1997)

In North Carolina, Cherokee Indians have received unconditional basic income in the form of casino dividend income for a quarter of a century. Since 1997, every member of the tribe has received the base income without exception. In the early years, the amount of these dividends was relatively small, but it has increased over time. On average, payments range from $4,000 to $6,000 a year per person, but can reach as much as $12,000.

The base income due to minors is accumulated in a special account. At the same time, the tribe manages them, investing them wisely and earning interest and other income. In the mid-2010s, the amount of basic income accumulated by age of majority with interest could exceed $100,000, and by 2021, it was expected to reach $200,000.

Experts found that the payments did not result in a reduction in recipients’ work hours and had positive effects:

– reduced anxiety and improved mental well-being: childhood hyperactivity and attention deficit disorder decreased by 40 percent;

– accessibility to education: children were more likely to finish school rather than drop out to make a living;

– a 22% reduction in crime rates.

Experiments

The first series of experiments in the 1960s and 1970s

In 1966, the existing Aid to Families with Children and Unemployed Dependent Fathers (AFDC-UF) program in the United States, covering about 100,000 people, was found to be anti-family because it encouraged people to have fictitious or actual divorces so that single-parent families could receive benefits. At the time, 1/3 of all low-income people were 2-parent families in which the husband had a full-time job.

In search of new ways to support the population, 4 large-scale basic income experiments were conducted in the late 1960s and early 1970s, beginning with New Jersey (1967), then rural (1968) and Gary (1971), and ending with the Seattle and Denver (1970-1975) experiment.

The main goal of the researchers was to study the effect of basic income on the labor market, that is, whether people would continue to work. They were also interested in the retention of married couples and divorce rates.

In all of the experiments, public assistance was implemented through a negative income tax scheme. This is the maximum benefit (guarantee) to which a family was entitled if they had no other income. However, the maximum benefit amount decreased as labor or other income increased.

The Seattle and Denver Experiment (SIME/DIME) 1970-1975

The Seattle and Denver Experiment (SIME/DIME) was the last and largest in a series of experiments of the last century.

SIME/DIME was launched in Seattle, Washington, in 1970 and expanded to a second site in Denver, Colorado, in 1972.

The experiment reached nearly 5,000 families: just over 2,000 in Seattle and nearly 3,000 in Denver.

The duration of participation included 2 different options (3 and 5 years) to understand how long it takes for people to adjust to change.

Four groups were identified depending on how they participated:

– monetary assistance only,

– counseling/training only,

– monetary assistance and counseling/training,

– without any help – control group.

Monetary assistance was implemented through a scheme with a negative income tax.

The maximum benefit (guarantee) to which the family was entitled if it had no other income was variously $3,800, $4,800, and $5,600 (1971 dollars). And the maximum benefit amount decreased from 50% to 80% as her earned or other income increased.

The final report on the results of the experiment shows the following conclusions regarding the effect of SIME/DIME payments on employment:

– husbands’ employment decreased slightly: the maximum decrease was recorded in years 2 and 3 of the experiment, about 9%;

– the employment of wives decreased more: the maximum decrease also occurred in years 2 and 3 of the experiment – 20% and 17%, respectively;

– employment of single women decreased approximately as well: the maximum decrease was observed in years 2 and 3 of the experiment – 14% and 21%, respectively;

– employment of young people (from 16 to 21 years old) both males and females decreased to a greater extent – by about 24% on average.

During the first 3 years of SIME/DIME, approximately 1 in 5 couples married at the beginning of the experiment broke up. This trend was predominantly for African-American and white families in both the 3-year and 5-year groups, but not for Hispanics. That said, SIME/DIME families did not have to be legally married or even declare their status to be eligible for benefits. All that was required was to live together on a permanent basis.

The Second Series of Experiments in the Twenty-First Century

Experiment in Oakland, CA (2016)

In January 2016, startup gas pedal Y-Combinator announced an experiment with unconditional basic income. According to Sam Altman, the head of the company, the aim of the experiment was to study “whether people would sit on the couch and play games or create new things” and “whether they would feel happy.”

The experiment was originally supposed to last 5 years, during which 100 to 300 randomly selected people would receive a fixed amount each month. However, on May 31, 2016, it was announced that a short pilot program would be launched for six months to a year to work out the methodology for a future larger experiment. The city of Oakland, California, was chosen as the location for the first experiment because of its significant property stratification and socioeconomic inequality. An additional factor was the city’s proximity to Silicon Valley.

The first phase of the experiment began in October 2016, in which 100 Oakland recipients were paid between $1,000 and $2,000.

The important point of the experiment is that there are no conditions or requirements for participants at all. Oakland recipients could work or not work, live in Oakland, or leave the U.S. altogether by changing their place of residence.

A second, larger 5-year phase was scheduled for 2019. It called for payments to 3,000 recipients in 2 states: 1,000 people at $1,000 a month and 2,000 people at $50 a month for comparison and analysis.

The experiment was later shortened to 3 years, and potential participants were required to have incomes no higher than the national average ($37,000 for a single person and $76,000 for a family of 4).

The budget of the project was estimated at $60 million. The readiness to participate in its financing was announced by private donors, including the former head of Y-combinator Sam Altman and Facebook cofounder Andrew McCollum, who promised to allocate $3 million.

The project was delayed due to the need for approval from state boards of supervisors. It never came to fruition.

On the eve of 2018, Sam Altman stated:

“I would suggest that all citizens get an equal stake in the US Inc. corporation. And then instead of getting a flat fee, you would get a percentage of GDP.”

The billionaire has repeatedly said that if people are given minimal economic security, they are more efficient with their time and resources and make and implement rational plans.

Magnolia Mothers Fund Pilot in Jackson, Mississippi (2018-2019, 2020-2021, from 2021)

The Magnolia Mothers Trust pilot in Jackson, Mississippi was announced in fall 2018. The project was for 12 months and focused on helping low-income African American mothers.

Twenty women received an unconditional basic income of $1,000 each month for 12 months (December 2018 through November 2019).

Key results after the first year of the pilot:

– 100% of participants responded that they had enough money to meet basic needs;

– The number of participants who cook meals at home for the whole family more than doubled (from 32% to 75%);

– the number of recipients able to pay their own bills without additional support more than doubled (from 37% to 80%);

– the number of children completing school education completely increased from 63% to 85%;

– More than $10,000 in debts were paid in total during the pilot;

– All participants’ anxiety and fear of not having enough money decreased;

– all recipients reported an increase in family engagement;

– 100% of recipients reported confidence in their future in 5 years.

After the results were achieved, the decision was made to extend the payments.

The second pilot was launched in March 2020 and covered 110 women. The monthly payments remained at $1,000.

The main results after the second year of the pilot were:

– Improved nutrition and living conditions due to the ability to allocate an additional $150 monthly for food and household expenses;

– ability to seek medical care when sick increased by 27%;

– the risk of not being able to handle emergency funding and going into debt as a result of emergencies decreased by 40%;

– children’s academic performance to average levels increased by 20%.

The third phase began in April 2021. It included 100 African-American mothers.

The Stockton, California Experiment (2019-2020)

In 2018, Stockton Economic Empowerment Demonstration researchers randomly sent 4,200 letters to potential candidates for the experiment in Stockton, California. To participate in the experiment, applicants were required to be at least 18 years old and live in a low-income neighborhood. The average household income in the city was $46,000. The researchers selected a group of 125 applicants based on age, gender, and race.

Basic income payments began in February 2019. The experiment was initially designed to last 1.5 years. The monthly base income amount was $500.

Funding for the experiment came from foundations and private donations. In particular, $1 million was provided by the Economic Security Project, co-chaired by Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes. This organization raised $10 million to fund experiments with basic income.

Shortly before the experiment ended in June 2020, Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs created the Mayors for a Guaranteed Income coalition. Thanks to private donations raised, the Stockton experiment was extended to 2 years.

Key preliminary results after processing data for the 1st year of the experiment:

– The money was spent on the essentials: food, household and household goods, and utility bills. In the first year of the experiment, expenditures were distributed as follows: 40% on food, 24% on clothing on sale, and 11% on bills. There were recorded instances of donations. Less than 1% of base income was spent on alcohol and tobacco.

– The quality of meals and their regularity improved.

– People worked more: in the first year of the experiment, the number of participants with full-time jobs increased from 28% to 40%.

– Ability to repay debts and loans increased: the number of participants paying off debts increased by 10%.

– Social interaction improved: relationships in the family and with others stabilized, less aggression, including in social networks.

– People’s physical and mental health improved, and anxiety levels decreased. This was also facilitated by the emergence of funds for unexpected expenses. The number of such participants increased by more than 25%.

– Volunteer, civic and political activity increased.

– Home foreclosures decreased.

More information about the experiment on the SEED website.

San Francisco Homeless Experiment (2020)

In San Francisco, Miracle Messages, a nonprofit organization that helps the homeless, launched a six-month experiment to pay unconditional basic income of $500 a month in 2020. The experiment had a budget of $50,000 and was generated by private donations.

Fifteen homeless recipients were selected from volunteer submissions to spend the base income on everything but drugs. In fact, 14 people participated in the experiment because one of the candidates was unable to open a bank account due to illness.

The main results of the experiment were:

– The funds were spent on food, medicine, and transportation;

– more than ⅓ of the recipients found housing;

– nearly 50% of participants had improved mental health due to reduced stress levels caused by financial hardship;

– A case of charitable giving was noted: one participant donated the amount left over after purchasing basic necessities back to Miracle Messages to continue the organization’s chain of helping people.

Miracle Messages was inspired by the results and continued to seek funds to extend payments to the homeless.

5-Year Pilot in Hudson, NY (from 2020)

A 5-year pilot with a base income was launched in Hudson on November 1, 2020. The payout is $500 monthly.

The first year, 25 people participated in the pilot, which was selected by lottery based on racial diversity: 50% were African American, 34% were white, 12% were Hispanic, and 4% were Asian. ¾ of the participants were women.

As of November 2021, 50 more people have been added to the pilot. Applications for Phase 2 of the pilot closed on 9/30/2021. Applicants were required to be 18 years of age or older, live in the city of Hudson, and have an income below the city’s average ($39,300 per year).

Micropilot for youth in New Orleans, Louisiana (2020-2021)

New Orleans began a 12-month, basic-income micropilot for youth in October 2020. During the year, 10 Rooted School seniors received $50 each week. Another 10 participated as a control group.

The results of the experiment are being processed, but the study methods have already been published.

Pilot for single fathers in Columbia, South Carolina (from 2021)

In September 2021, 100 single fathers in Columbia received their first basic income payment. They will receive $500 each for 12 months.

The 100 recipients were randomly selected from a pool of 895 applicants. Another 100 are participating in the study as a control group.

The Columbia Life Improvement Project (CLIMB) is underway.

Sustainability Project in Ulster County, New York (from 2021)

The Ulster County Sustainability Project was the first rural basic income experiment in the United States.

Beginning in March 2021, 100 families will receive $500 each month for 12 months. Recipients and members of the control group were selected by lottery.

The project is funded by the community with support from Project Resilience, the University of Pennsylvania Income Security Center, Hudson Valley Community Foundations and Ulster Savings Bank.

Even before the pilot ended, Project Resilience began fundraising for a second phase, which will support seniors, youth and families in need.

Pilot for single caregivers in Cambridge, Massachusetts (from 2021)

In June 2021, Cambridge began a 1.5-year pilot with a basic income for single caregivers. 130 unmarried parents (at least one child under 18) receive $500 each month.

The control group includes 156 people who, like the main income recipient group, are randomly selected.

Organized by Cambridge Recurring Income for Success + Empowerment, Cambridge RISE.

A 3-year “Bridge” experiment for low-income mothers in New York City (from 2021)

In July 2021, New York City launched the Bridge program as a pilot to provide basic income payments to women who are pregnant or have a child under the age of 1. It is organized by the Monarch Foundation. The term of the experiment is 3 years.

The aim of the experiment is to study the impact of basic income on child poverty in the first years of life (the first 1,000 days).

The experiment involves 100 women who are divided into 2 groups: one group has a basic income of $500 per month ($250 paid every 2 weeks) and the other group has $1,000 per month ($500 paid every 2 weeks).

Another 100 women make up the control group to compare the results of the study.

Outside the Experiment

Mayors for Income Guarantee Project (from 2020)

The largest active basic income project in the U.S. is Mayors for a Guaranteed Income. It was initiated in June 2020 by Michael Tubbs, mayor of the U.S. city of Stockton, where the basic income experiment was underway at the time, and the Economic Security Project. They proposed a coalition of mayors to support the least protected people in their cities with an unconditional basic income (the project uses the term “guaranteed income”). The ultimate goal of the project was a “resilient and equitable America.

Fourteen mayors initially joined the coalition, inviting everyone to participate. Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey immediately responded to the mayors’ call by donating $3 million to fund the project. In December 2020, Jack Dorsey donated again to fund the project. This time it was five times as much – $15 million.

By December 2020, the coalition already included 30 mayors of American cities, and by the end of 2021, 100 mayors, including the mayors of Oakland and Jackson, where experiments with basic income had already been conducted.

Participating cities are featured on the coalition’s map.

Beginning in 2020, dozens of cities across the country are introducing a short-term (6 months to 2 years) guaranteed basic income for those most in need with the help of the project. Some of them are listed below.

Basic Income in Chelsea, Massachusetts (from 2020)

At the height of the pandemic in April 2020, local community organizations and the City of Chelsea set up food pantries. In September 2020, after 5 months of such support, the decision was made to replace food aid with financial aid and allow residents to purchase their own food and necessities.

Funds were raised through a combination of city funds, state aid, and charitable contributions.

Beginning in November 2020, over 2,000 low-income families received $400 per family on special cards for 6 months. However, families of 2 received $300 and one received $200 a month.

About 40 percent of program participants were food insecure.

The researchers compared the shopping of the program participants and those who did not win the lottery and did not receive cash cards, but applied for participation. There were about 1,500 of them. Only a short period was analyzed: from November 24, 2020 to March 2, 2021.

The results of such a study were published in May 2021:

– nearly 3/4 of purchases were made in places where food was the main item (stores, markets, etc.);

– about 4% was spent on “utilities and professional services.”

– about 1.5% was transportation expenses (gas stations, bus and subway tickets);

– 0.4% was spent in tobacco and alcohol stores.

Note that the spending patterns were analyzed not by type of goods and services purchased, but by place of purchase.

Basic income for foster youth in Santa Clara County, California (from 2020)

In June 2020, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors approved a support program for youth in foster care who are 24 years old or older and who are no longer eligible for assistance from such families. The base income is set at $1,000 a month for one year. This should help young people start independent living.

The program was budgeted at $900,000, which more than covered payments to 72 former foster children.

In July 2021, a month before the project ended, the county Board of Supervisors extended the program for another six months, through February 2022.

Basic Income for Working Families in Richmond, Virginia (from 2020)

In late October 2020, Richmond began a 2-year pilot (Richmond Resilience Initiative) outside of the pilot for a monthly unconditional payment of $500 to 18 working families who are no longer eligible for benefits but have incomes below the living wage. Funding was provided by the city and the Robins Foundation.

In December 2020, an expansion of the program to 55 families was announced. This was made possible by donations from Jack Dorsey, who gave $500,000 to the program.

Gov. Richmond is working with the Center for Guaranteed Income Research (CGIR) to determine how the lives of people who lose eligibility but receive unconditional basic income will change. The program is not experimental.

Basic Income for Artists in San Francisco, California (2021)

In March 2021, a six-month, $1,000-a-month program for 130 San Francisco artists was launched. The administration allocated $6 million to fund the project.

Potential recipients had to be at least 18 years old, practice art, and have a low income (less than $61,000 per year per single person and less than $87,000 per family of 4).

Basic Income for New York Artists (starting in 2022)

In late 2021, the Creatives Rebuild New York (CRNY), a basic income initiative for New York artists, was proposed. Nearly 2,400 low-income people would receive payments. An additional 300 artists will receive payments and employment assistance across the country as part of the second phase of the project.

The Andrew Mellon Foundation ($125 million), the Stavros Niarchos Foundation and the Ford Foundation ($10 million) have co-funded the program.

The exact amount of base income at the time of writing (January 2022) has not yet been announced.

Applications for the program will begin in early 2022.

Basic Income for African-American Entrepreneurs in Oakland, CA (from 2020)

In the spring of 2020, in the face of a pandemic, Runway, which has been lending on favorable terms to Oakland African-American entrepreneurs for two years, decided to expand its financial assistance. To support small businesses and save them from ruin, the company gave $2,000 each to its borrowers on a one-time basis and then scheduled a six-month, $1,000 monthly unconditional payment.

None of the 30 recipients of that base income closed their businesses because of the recession. As a result, the company announced a second phase in November 2020, extending the base payments.

The financial assistance for African-American entrepreneurs was due to racial income disparities. Small businesses often turn to relatives for support in times of crisis, and African-American families typically do not have enough available funds to do so.

Basic Income in Compton, California (from 2020)

Compton has a 2-year Compton Pledge program that pays a base income to 800 residents from the end of 2020 through the end of 2022.

The amount of basic income depends on several factors, including family income, and can be as much as $7,200 per year. On average, participants receive $450 per month. As of January 2022, 397 participants received basic income every 2 months, 389 received quarterly, and 14 received one-time payments.

Basic Income for Women Caregivers in Los Angeles (as of 2020)

The GIP Guaranteed Income Program began in December 2020 and is designed to provide a 12-month payment of $1,000 per month to 12 Los Angeles women caregivers.

The program was initiated by the National Council of Jewish Women and applies exclusively to low-wage women working in caregiving.

Basic Income for Families with Children in Los Angeles (effective 2022)

Los Angeles has been accepting applications for the 12-month unconditional basic income program through November 7, 2021. The composition of the participants will be determined by a lottery.

Basic eligibility requirements: being 18 years old; having dependent children or being pregnant; low income not exceeding the federal poverty level.

In 2022, 3,200 Los Angeles families will receive $1,000 each every month for a year.

Follow the project at https://bigleap.lacity.org/

Basic Income in Chicago, Illinois (from 2022)

Chicago will launch a pilot similar to Los Angeles in 2022. A lottery will select 5,000 families from low-income applicants to receive $500 each month. The program is budgeted at $31.5 million.

Basic Income in Rochester, NY (effective 2022)

In December 2021, the Rochester City Council approved a $2.2 million guaranteed basic income payment.

The program has 2 phases:

– Year 1, 175 low-income (below the federal poverty level) families will receive $500 each month;

– Year 2: In Year 2, another 175 low-income families will receive $500 a month.

Basic income for single-parent families with children in Tacoma, WA (effective 2021)

Payments began in December 2021 as part of the Increasing Resiliency in Tacoma (GRIT) pilot, Washington.

For 12 months, 110 families will receive $500 each month.

Eligibility requirements: single-parent family with children, low income and living in certain areas of Tacoma.

Participants were selected from 2,000 applicants. Another 135 families will participate as a control group – completing the questionnaire without a base income.

To fund the pilot, $500,000 came in donations from Jack Dorsey, $100,000 from the Mayors for Income Guarantee Project, and $100,000 came from the Tacoma city budget.

Basic Income in Montgomery County, Maryland (effective 2022)

In December 2021, the Montgomery County Board awarded $2 million in Basic Income Pilot funding. Another $1 million was provided by the Meyer Foundation.

Over 2 years, 300 low-income families will receive $800 each month.

Basic Income in Arlington County, Virginia (effective 2021)

Arlington’s Guarantee pilot covered 200 low-income working families. They will receive $500 each for 18 months.

Participants were randomly selected from a pool of applicants. The first 50 families were enrolled at the end of 2021.

Basic Income in Alexandria, Virginia (from 2021)

On November 1, 2021, Alexandria began a 2-year, $500 monthly basic income payment program. The recipients were 150 low-income families.

Basic Income in Newark, New Jersey (from 2021)

In the summer of 2021, Newark launched Phase 1 of a 2-year basic income project with 30 people randomly selected from 1,200 applicants. The project targeted those with housing difficulties.

In December 2021, 400 participants in Phase 2 of the program were identified.

The payment amount is $6,000 per year, which is $12,000 over the 2 years of the project. However, the assistance is paid out in different ways:

– Half of the participants get $250 every 2 weeks;

– The rest receive $3,000 every six months.

Basic Income in Ithaca, NY (from 2022)

In December 2021, the City of Ithaca joined the widespread introduction of Basic Income for needy populations. With the participation of the Mayors for Income Security Coalition, Tompkins County Social Services (HSCTC), and private sources, a one-year project is planned for a monthly unconditional payment of $450 to 110 recipients. They could be low-income caregivers of children, parents, elderly or disabled people in and out of the home.

Basic Income in Providence, Rhode Island (effective 2021)

Unconditional Basic Income payments began in November 2021 as part of a 12-month pilot in Providence. The 110 low-income participants will receive $500 each month for one year.

The data will be analyzed by the Guaranteed Income Research Center, created by the University of Pennsylvania.

Basic Income for Non-White Families in San Diego and National City, California (from 2022)

In December 2021, Basic Income was decided in California. The state allocated $1.4 million for a 2-year program: a monthly payment of $500 to 150 San Diego and National City families.

Recipients will be selected from needy nonwhite families with children under 12. However, the payment is not unconditional. The money can be spent only on basic necessities: food, rent, medicine, and transportation to work.

The payments are scheduled to begin in 2022.

Basic income for nonwhite families with children in Marin County, California (from 2021)

In the spring of 2021, the Marin County Board of Supervisors decided to allocate $400,000 for basic income payments. Another $3 million was provided by the Marin Community Foundation.

The project is for 2 years and will reach 125 non-white women with children under the age of 18. To participate, you must live in one of the city’s 4 boroughs and have a low income. The payment amount is $1,000 monthly.

Participants were randomly selected from a pool of 4,600 people.

Prior to the start of the project, a survey was conducted among low-income families in the county.

Basic income for fathers with children in Columbia, North Carolina (starting in 2021)

In Columbia, starting in 2021, 100 fathers with children will receive a $500 monthly base income for 2 years. Jack Dorsey donated $600,000 to the city for the project.

Basic Income for Families with Children in St. Paul, Minnesota (Effective 2021)

In early 2021, St. Paul, Minnesota, announced the Guaranteed Income for People Project https://www.stpaul.gov/departments/financial-empowerment/peoples-prosperity-guaranteed-income-pilot, designed to pay 150 needy families $500 a month for 1.5 years.

Participants were randomly selected from among those who applied. Requirements for participants:

– Reside in St. Paul and have a child who has participated in the local CollegeBound St. Paul program;

– Not be a state employee;

– Have suffered a COVID-19 pandemic (layoff, disability, business closure);

– have low incomes.

The City is working with the Center for Guaranteed Income Research (CGIR) to test the impact of the implemented program on the well-being of the population outside of the pilot.

Income Security for Low-Income Persons in South San Francisco, California (effective 2021)

In November 2021, basic income payments began in South San Francisco. 150 low-income families will receive $500 a month.

Basic income for ex-convicts in Florida (from 2022)

In January 2022, 115 ex-convicts in Florida will receive $1,000 a month and will receive $600 a month thereafter through the end of 2022.

In November 2021, hundreds of former inmates released after June 1, 2021, received invitations to apply. The 115 participants in the program were randomly selected.

The program is designed to prevent poverty and reoffending.

Program organizers believe that “Spending $7600 on an inmate is cheaper than keeping him in prison.”

Basic income for non-white families with children in Oakland, California (from 2021)

In March 2021, an 18-month basic income program for low-income families was adopted in Oakland, California. 600 needy nonwhite families will receive $500 a month for 1.5 years.

Eligibility requirements:

– Living in Oakland;

– Have a child under 18 years of age;

– income less than 50 percent of the city’s median income.

The first 300 families began receiving payments in the spring of 2021. Applications for the second phase of the program will close on November 3, 2021. An additional 300 recipients will be randomly selected from among them.

Basic income for single mothers in Birmingham, Alabama (effective 2021)

The Birmingham City Council adopted a program in October 2021 to support 110 single mothers with monthly base income payments of $375.

Basic Income for low-income people in Atlanta, Georgia (from 2022)

In 2022, Atlanta will join the low-income guaranteed income program. For an entire year, 300 people will receive $500 each month through the Atlanta Community Transformation Income Mobility Program. Applications are due to open in the first few months of 2022.

Basic eligibility requirements: age 18 or older and income within 200% of the federal poverty level.

Basic Income in Gary, Indiana (effective 2021)

In April 2021, Gov. Gary, Indiana, joined the nation’s guaranteed income program. The project is for one year and involves a monthly unconditional payment of $500 each. The recipients were 100 randomly selected residents of Gary, where one-third of the population lives in poverty.

The recipients had standard requirements: residency in Gary, age 18 or older, and low income (up to $35,000).

Basic Income in Paterson, New Jersey (effective 2021)

In Paterson, a temporary basic income payment program began in April 2021. For 12 months, 110 low-income residents over the age of 18 (up to $30k for single people and up to $88k per family) receive $400 each.

The Paterson government is working with the Center for Guaranteed Income Research (CGIR) to study the impact of the program on health and well-being outside of the pilot.

 

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