They didn’t quite win the lottery, but thousands of low-income Americans are receiving regular payouts from the government as part of a sweeping social experiment.
They haven’t quite won the lottery, but thousands of low-income Americans are receiving regular government payouts as part of a sweeping social experiment to answer the question: What would happen if we addressed poverty by sweeping aside the programs, regulations, the means-testing and the oversight and just gave people unconditional cash?
“What this has allowed me to do, besides giving me the extra funds to buy those diapers or get that formula, it has also helped me with saving money to eventually become a homeowner of my own,” Ms. McCann said at a 2021 community discussion. “It has definitely been such a big help, and I’m just grateful to be a member of this amazing program.”
Most advocates aren’t calling for the classic concept of a universal basic income, meaning checks for everyone regardless of income, wealth or living conditions, but rather a guaranteed or unconditional basic income targeted to low-income Americans. Like many other programs, the county’s effort represents a public-private partnership. The county will provide $2 million for the $4 million project, and private philanthropies will fund the rest. The Greater Washington Community Foundation has pledged $1 million.
Also fueling the recent proliferation of pilots is the convergence of three events: the COVID-19 pandemic, the mass Black Lives Matter demonstrations, and the Stockton Economic Empowerment Demonstration. The share of recipients working full time rose from 28% to 40%. The increase was partly attributed to the participants’ ability to work fewer hours, giving them time to complete coursework, finish certifications and apply for better jobs.
Despite the “universal” name of the concept, she said, some programs are designed to favor certain demographic groups. The Denver Basic Income Project isThe Portland, Oregon, Black Resilience
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