Give a Buck is a deep dive into Universal Basic Income, which is gaining currency in a time of mass unemployment. Our future is dependent on whether or not we can afford the bills.
Even as the U.S. economy fluctuates, the promise of UBI is still present in many people's minds. The results of multi-year pilot programs are being published, as cities continue to announce new free cash programs. You will be able to keep track of it all on this page.
UBI is an old idea that has positive economic effects. A basic safety net is provided by long-term cash payments. Payments come with no strings attached and are usually made once a month. Local programs seem to work better in the 21st century.
Millions of households coped with the financial impact of the swine flu in 2020. Many cities are testing out guaranteed income programs, similar in principle to UBI, but offered to a select portion of a city's population
The guaranteed income programs for artists in San Francisco and Long Beach were randomly selected.
The Mayors for a Guaranteed Income was founded in 2020 by Michael Tubbs, the former mayor of Stockton, California. There are more than 80 mayors involved. Some pilot programs have already begun. More are planning guaranteed incomes. The member cities could apply for up to $500,000 in funding for their pilot programs, thanks to a donation from Jack Dorsey.
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The demand for financial safety nets during the Pandemic shutdown spurred the movement for guaranteed income. The grassroots nonprofit Income Movement and the Economic Security Project are two nonprofits that advocate for a guaranteed income. There are also nonprofits in the country. A UBI pilot for unhoused people across the nation is hosted by a nonprofit called Miracle Messages. $500 a month in direct cash transfers is provided by the Miracle Money program.
The calls for guaranteed income are increasing. The budget for the next five years is $35 million, which was signed off on by the governor. It could be a step closer to UBI.
There are a number of guaranteed income programs in the U.S.
The guaranteed income research pilot was announced by the city in October of 2021.
The program application states that eligible participants are "female-identifying heads of family caring for at least one child under the age of 18." A group of people are getting $375 per month.
A control group of 132 people who won't receive monthly income but will be paid for their participation in pilot surveys are included in the program. It is supported by a $500,000 grant from the Mayors for a Guaranteed Income.
A $12 million cash assistance program was approved by the Phoenix City Council.
1,000 families are provided a $1,000 a month stipend. The area median income is $60,000 for a family of four. Selected families were either living in U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development communities, using federally funded housing choice vouchers for Section 8 properties, or participating in the city's Emergency Rental Assistance program funded by coronaviruses relief money.
The funds come from the American Rescue Plan Act and the first payments were made via pre-paid cards.
More than 800 families in the city of Compton will receive monthly cash payments of between $300 and $600 as a result of the Compton pledge program. The families are mostly irregular or informally employed residents, immigrants of varied legal status, and formerly incarcerated.
The participants have access to free banking. The program had already given $1 million of its $2 million pool to 1,770 people. The project is expected to give out $9 million over the course of two years.
A guaranteed income program for LA residents was announced by the mayor. $6 million from the LAPD budget will be reallocated to the initiative. The LA Economic Assistance Pilot is giving 3,200 people under the poverty line $1,000 per month for a year, more than its original goal.
To be eligible, applicants had to be pregnant or the parent of a dependent child and have an income below the federal poverty line. The first payment was made in January of 1992.
There are a few guaranteed income programs. In July of 2021, the county said it would be sending over a thousand dollars a month to 150 people. Low-income residents already receive general relief benefits.
The open application period for the second direct cash program ended in September of 2022. Three years of support will be given by the BREATHE program. Government funds as well as philanthropic organizations support it.
Residents of the 90813 ZIP code in Long Beach will be able to take part in a guaranteed income pilot program. The highest concentrated area of family poverty in Long Beach has a median household income 25 percent lower than any other ZIP code.
A $500 stipend will be given to 250 to 300 families. Single mothers with incomes below the poverty line will get priority. The city signed a contract with the Fund for Guaranteed Income after launching a request for proposals to implement the pilot.
Marin County will have a pilot program in March of 2021. Women of color who are raising at least one child under the age of 18 would be eligible for the program.
A $400,000 grant from the Marin County board of supervisors was one of the funders of the $3 million initiative. According to the foundation, the pilot's first round of recipients focuses on those facing " the greatest aggregate of challenges : low income, young children, and facing the daily perils and insults of overt and covert racial discrimination."
A group of 4,000 people who already receive funding from the foundation were to be chosen to be eligible to be a mother.
The city of Mountain View's guaranteed income pilot program started in September of 2022.
Direct cash payments of $500 per month will be given to 166 randomly selected low income families. The area's average median income is 30 percent below the eligibility threshold. In December, the first payments are expected. The applications will close on September 25.
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Hundreds of low-income families will receive $500 monthly payments for 18 months as a result of the guaranteed income project in Oakland. Priority was given to households with the greatest income disparity. Families must have at least one child under the age of 18 to be eligible. After backlash on social media, the criteria for the program was removed. The participants will be randomly selected.
As of the announcement, the program had raised over six million dollars. The representatives from Oakland said at the time that at least 80% would be distributed.
The first guaranteed income program in the country was launched by Santa Clara county in July 2020. 72 former foster care youth were given $1,000 a month by the pilot.
The Universal Basic Income for Transition Age Foster Youth Act was inspired by the success of the pilot program. The bill was tabled, but the second version of the SOAR guaranteed income program was introduced. The bill was voted on in the Senate Education Committee.
The San Diego for Every Child program was created by the Mayors of San Diego and National City. The Jewish Family Service of San Diego is partnering with the guaranteed income pilot.
The pilot provides $500 a month for 24 months to 150 families with a child under the age of 12. Only families living in Encanto, Paradise Hills, National City, and San Ysidro were eligible for the program. The pilot gave out its first payments.
There are a number of free money programs in the San Francisco area.
The Abundant Birth Project is a pilot program that addresses premature births and maternal health. According to the organization, the program provides "unconditional cash supplements to Black and Pacific Islanders mothers as a strategy to reduce preterm birth and improve economic outcomes." $1,000 a month will be given to recipients for a year. They have an annual income that is less than $100,000. Enrolling for the first 150 recipients is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
The South San Francisco guaranteed income program was launched in the year 2021. 160 households will be given $500 a month for a year for case management services from the city. In December of 2021, the first payments were made.
The Sonoma County Pathway to Income Equity program was launched in September of 2022.
Eligibility is based on income, residency, and the household's reported impact from COVID-19, and it provides 305 county residents with $500 a month for two years. The funds are provided by the county, city of Healdsburg, city of Petaluma, and city of SantaRosa. The program is part of a partnership with the Fund for Guaranteed Income.
The pilot program that provided 125 residents with $500 monthly payouts over 24 months was announced in February of 2019. The residents were chosen based on their household incomes. $3 million in donations were used to fund it.
The results of the pilot program were made public. The guaranteed income led to higher rates of full-time employment. It had a positive impact on the mental health of recipients. The participants reported that they were less anxious and depressed.
Mayors for a Guaranteed Income and the University of Denver's Center for Housing and Homeless Research collaborated on the Denver Basic Income project. It was created to help the homeless in the city.
Private donations and philanthropic support helped to fund the program's initial budget. 260 people got $1,000 a month, another 260 got $6,500, and a third group of 300 got $50 a month.
The city of Denver pledged $2 million and will give $12,000 over the course of a year to a group of homeless people. 140 people and their families will benefit from the pilot. A group will get $6,500 upfront and $500 a month for the next 11 months. A group will get $1,000 a month.
The Just Income GNV guaranteed income pilot was launched by the city of Gainesville in collaboration with Mayors for a Guaranteed Income and Community Spring.
This population is referred to as justice-impacted. To be eligible, applicants had to be a resident of Alachua County and have recently been released from a Florida state or federal prison, or a Florida county jail, with a felony conviction. In the first month, each participant received $1,000, followed by $600 a month for 11 months. The first payments were made.
Atlanta's Old Fourth Ward Economic Security Task Force announced the beginning of a pilot program in partnership with the Economic Security Project.
An Income Mobility Program for Atlanta Community Transformation (I.M.P.A.C.T.) fund was announced by the Atlanta mayor's office in December of 2021. A group of 25 people began receiving payments in January and the rest began receiving funds in June. All of the recipients are at least 18 years old and live below the federal poverty line.
In Her hands is a guaranteed income pilot program that will provide $850 per month to 650 black women in Georgia for two years. The first group of recipients will be located in Atlanta's Old Fourth Ward, while the second and third groups will be located in Southwest Georgia. The applications have ended.
The guaranteed income program was announced by Gilbert Villega. The original proposal cost $30 million from the American Rescue Plan funds.
The Chicago Resilient Communities pilot program was launched by the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services. 5000 eligible recipients will be given $500 a month for a year in the pilot. To be eligible, recipients must be at least 18 years old and fall below 250 percent of the federal poverty level. Payments will start soon after 5000 participants have been selected.
The Cook County Promise pilot program is the largest guaranteed income pilot program in the country.
The program is funded by the American Rescue Plan Act and has partnerships with GiveDirectly, AidKit, and several other community organizations. 3,250 low income families will be provided with cash payments for 24 months. The applications will open in October.
The first guaranteed income pilot program was launched in August of 2022.
150 families will be given a $500 per month stipend. Low-income residents 18 to 24 years old or adults 62 years old and older are eligible to participate in the program. The pilot is funded by both the city and the university. The applications were closed on August 29th.
The GIVE gave low-income residents $500 a month for one year. Participants had to make less than $35,000. Financial literacy classes were given to the first test group by Centier Bank.
A $500,000 grant was given by the Mayors for a Guaranteed Income. The pilot's remaining six months were covered by $400,000 of American Rescue Act funds.
New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell unveiled the city's first guaranteed income pilot in December of 2021. The program was announced to the public in May 2022. It is the first time that the coalition addresses youth needs.
Young people between the ages of 16 and 24 are served by the pilot. Those in the juvenile justice system, pregnant people, unhoused youth, and immigrants are some of the segments of the New Orleans community that are represented by the 125 recipients. $350 per month will be given to them for the next 10 months.
The city of Shreveport collaborated with Mayors for a Guaranteed Income and launched its guaranteed income program pilot in February of 2022.
The program will give residents $660 a month. They must have an income of less than 120 percent of the federal poverty level. The first payments were made in March.
The Baltimore's Young Families Success Fund provides 200 parents or guardians between the ages of 18 and 24 with $1,000 per month for two years. Participants have to have incomes that are at or below 300 percent of the federal poverty level. According to the Mayor's office, the program is meant to provide financial relief for their families.
The program started processing initial monthly payments in August of 2022. Funding comes from the American Rescue Plan Act funds, the Mayor's Office of Children and Family Success, and private donors.
A relief program for more than 2,000 low-income residents was announced in response to the economic impact of COVID-19. The program was supported by both the Shah Family Foundation and the Mayors for a Guaranteed Income. The program supported 2,040 families who received between $200 and $400 a month.
The city hosted a program to address food and financial issues. Direct cash cards were given to 2,000 households. The cards were reloaded with money every month.
The Cambridge Recurring Income for Success and Empowerment pilot program was launched in September. The goal of the program is to support families below 200 percent of the poverty line. The Center of Guaranteed Income Research at the University of Pennsylvania received a $500,000 grant from Mayors for a guaranteed income.
Cambridge RISE gives $500 monthly payments to 130 households that earn less than 80 percent of the area's median income, and residents who are single and have at least one child under the age of 18. The first payments were made in September of 2011.
A guaranteed income is provided by the Family Health Project for new mothers. $400 a month for 36 months is provided by the program for new mothers. The first group of families were paid in May 2021.
A group of 15 families from the town of Roxbury were chosen to participate in a second direct giving pilot program.
The recipients need to be referred to the program by a community health center. It is completely funded by donations.
Minneapolis launched its pilot program in early 2022.
Federal relief funds and the Royal Credit Union are supporting the program. 200 residents will be given $500 a month for 24 months. To be eligible, individuals must be at least 18 years old, have an income below 50 percent of the city's average median income, and be impacted financially by the Pandemic. They need to be residents of one of the ZIP codes. The applications have ended.
The pilot program gave 150 families $500 a month for up to 18 months. The program was funded by the city's grant under the federal CARES Act, the Minnesota Department of Human Services, and by private donors.
CollegeBound Saint Paul gives college savings accounts to children born after January 1, 2020.
The guaranteed income and college savings initiative was expanded by the city. 333 low-income families will be provided with $500 each month for 2 years, as well as deposits of $1,000 each for their children's CollegeBound Saint Paul college savings accounts.
Springboard to Opportunities started the Magnolia program. The pilot was the first of its kind in the U.S. The first cohort of the program gave $1,000 a month to 100 mothers for a year, and the second cohort gave the same amount for a year. Magnolia Mother's Trust added another 100 new mothers in April of 2021. In May 2022, the program continued with more participants.
Newark's Guaranteed Income Task Force collaborated with the Economic Security Project and the Jain Family Institute to create a proposal for the city's first pilot program.
In February 2021, the city adopted a resolution in support of the task force's recommendations, and in May, the mayor announced a two-year pilot program. The pilot will give money to 400 people. Residents must have an income that falls below the poverty line. One group will be paid twice a week, another once a month, and the third once a year. The first 30 participants got paid. All 400 Newark residents will receive bi-weekly payments of $250 and semi-annual payments of $3,000 over the course of 24 months.
The Mayors for a Guaranteed Income supports the pilot program in Paterson.
The pilot will give $400 to every resident regardless of employment status, the city said. Income is the main factor in determining eligibility. The family income is capped at $88,0000 and applicants must make less than $30,000 per year. The first group of recipients received payments in July of 2021. The program came to an end in June.
The Santa Fe Learn, Earn, Achieve Program received a $500,000 grant to start the city's first guaranteed income pilot program.
100 parents who enroll in Santa Fe Community College and make less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level will be given $400 per month for a year. In October of 2021. participants began receiving payments Donations are needed to support a second year.
The first basic income pilot in Hudson will be launched in 2020 by The Spark of Hudson and the mayor. Two $300,000 grants were given to the Hudson Up program.
One of the longest guaranteed income pilot programs in the country gives 25 residents $500 per month for five years. To be eligible, recipients had to make less than the city's median annual income. The recipients were announced in March.
The Human Services Coalition of Tompkins County officially launched it in 2022. The pilot is being funded by a private company.
Mayors for a Guaranteed Income said the program provides $450 a month to people who are not paid as primary caregivers. To be eligible, participants must have an income that is less than 80 percent of the median income. In June 2022, the first payments were made.
The Bridge Project is the first guaranteed income project in New York City. In the first phase of The Bridge Project, low-income mothers living in Washington Heights, Inwood, and Central Harlem were given either $250 or $500 per fortnight.
500 mothers will be provided with $1,000 a month for 18 months in the second phase of the project. It is funded and implemented by the Monarch Foundation and is a part of the Harlem Children's Zone.
Project resilience was the first county-wide initiative to test a monthly universal basic income
The University of Pennsylvania's Center for Guaranteed Income was one of the partners in the project. 100 households were given $500 a month for a year because of it. The first payments were made in May 2021.
The program was extended through September.
The pilot program provides financial assistance to formerly imprisoned residents. The first participants were selected in 2022.
The program gives $600 a month to people who have been released from prison. The Center for Guaranteed Income in Pennsylvania is partnering with it. Mayors give a grant for a guaranteed income. The first payment was made in March of 2022.
Mayors for a guaranteed income helped launch Providence's guaranteed income research project.
The initial round of recipients were selected by the center for guaranteed income research. The money will be given to the Providence residents for a year. Individuals can be eligible if they have an income of less than 200 percent of the federal poverty line. Relief funds from the Providence Rescue Plan were used to extend the program for another six months.
The CLIMB program was announced in December of 2020 by the mayor. The group is working with the community. The group of almost 900 people were randomly selected.
It provides 100 residents with $500 monthly payments for a year and is funded by both private donors and support from Mayors for a guaranteed income. In September of 2021, the first payments were made.
Austin became the first Texas city to test a direct cash assistance program fully funded by taxpayer funds after announcing its proposed guaranteed income pilot.
Over the course of a year, the program will give $1,000 to 85 households and cost the city $1 million. The pilot will be run by the California-based Up Together.
San Antonio launched a guaranteed income pilot at the end of 2020 after tabling an earlier version of the program. Ron Nirenberg is the mayor of the city.
The program supports 1,000 low-income families with $400 per quarter for two years after an initial cash investment of $1,908 was made. The $5 million program was supported by the city of San Antonio and various nonprofits. The program distributed $3.9 million in June and will be finished in January.
Alexandria introduced its guaranteed income pilot program in July of 2021.
Over the course of two years, the pilot will provide $500 a month to 170 households. Participants who make less than 50 percent of the city's median income are eligible. It has 3 million dollars in American Rescue Plan funds and is working with a research partner. The first group of recipients will receive their applications in October of 2022.
The smallest pilot project when it was introduced in 2020 was the guaranteed income program for 18 families. The Office of Community Wealth Building is part of the city's anti- poverty commission. None of them qualified for traditional public benefits because they had children and were employed.
The pilot was supported by a foundation. The $500,000 grant from the Mayors for a Guaranteed Income will be used to expand the resilience initiative of the city. A second group of families received payments in June.
The GRIT program will provide around 100 families with $500 a month for a year. Eligible recipients are referred to as "ALICE" families, which means "Asset-Limited, Income- Constrained, and Employed." While most of the individuals are employed and above the poverty limit, many still struggle to make ends meet. People of color are prioritized by the program.
The city's pilot was funded by grants from Jack Dorsey and Mayors for a Guaranteed Income. The first disbursements were made in December of 2011.
As new programs are announced, this story will be changed.
There will be an update on May 3, 2021. The Santa Clara pilot program was updated to include information.
On May 7, 2021, 12:50 p.m., there will be an update. The Lynn, Massachusetts and Hudson, New York trials were added.
May 12, 2021, is a new date. TheNewark, New Jersey's pilot program has been added to the story.
UPDATE: Sep. 16, 2022, 1:52 p.m. EDT This story was updated with current data, as well as additional information about the Birmingham, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Mountain View, San Francisco, San Diego, Sonoma County, Atlanta, Cook County, Evanston, New Orleans, Shreveport, Baltimore, Minneapolis, Santa Fe, Ithaca, Ulster County, Durham, Austin, San Antonio, Providence, and Alexandria programs.
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