New York City is one of many areas across the country offering guaranteed basic income to low-income residents.
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Guaranteed basic-income programs can help low-income participants afford necessities like rent.
BI found over 50 municipalities that have tried GBI, offering cash for housing and groceries.
Despite legislative opposition, basic-income programs remain active across the country.
Ingrid Sullivan, 48, used her cash from the San Antonio guaranteed basic-income program to rent a home where her grandchildren can play in the yard. And Monique Gonzalez, 41, moved herself and her family out of a San Antonio motel.
Denver resident Jarun Laws, 51, used his basic income to pay his rent and buyfood.
"My life was always just a couple hundred dollars short," Sullivan told Business Insider. "For the first time, I can breathe."
Guaranteed basic income has become an increasingly popular poverty-solution strategy in US cities. Over 50 municipalities have tried the GBI model since 2019, offering low-income participants between $100 and $1,000 a month, no strings attached, for a set time period.
What makes basic income different from traditional Social Services is the element of choice. Participants told BIthey spent the money where they needed it most: on housing, groceries, transportation, and debt repayment.
Typically, participants fall below the federal poverty line. However, some programs have also focused on specific populations such as new and expecting mothers, households with children, or people experiencing homelessness.
Basic income pilots have been completed in cities and counties in Arizona, Alabama, Virginia, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Mississippi, Louisiana, Indiana, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Washington, and Washington DC.
GBI continues to face legislative opposition from Republican lawmakers who have called the programs "socialist," and worry they discourage low-income people from entering the workforce.
For example, Iowa passed a ban on GBI in April, and the Arizona House of Representatives voted to ban basic income in February. And on April 23, The Texas Supreme Court placed a temporary block on a Houston-area program the attorney general has called "unconstitutional."
Despite these political challenges, basic-income programs continue to be active across the country. Here's a breakdown of states, listed in alphabetical order, where cash payments are currently being offered to low-income residents.
CaliforniaLos Angeles, California
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Location: Los Angeles Program name:Breathe Duration: June 2022 - August 2025 Income amount: $1,000 every month for three years Number of participants: 1,000 low-income households
Location: Long Beach Program name:Long Beach Pledge Duration: Spring 2024 - spring 2025 Income amount: $500 a month for 12 months Number of participants: 200 low-income households with children
Location: Mountain View Program name:Elevate MV Duration: December 2022 - December 2024 Income amount: $500 a month for 24 months Number of participants: 166 low-income parents
Location: Sonoma County Program name:Pathway to Income Equity Duration: January 2023 - January 2025 Income amount: $500 a month for 24 months Number of participants: 305 low-income families
Previous basic income pilots have been run in San Francisco, Compton, Oakland, Santa Clara, San Diego, Stockton, and Marin County.
ColoradoDenver, Colorado
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Location: Denver Program name:The Denver Basic Income Project Duration: November 2022 - July 2024 Income amount: Participants were divided into three groups: One receives $1,000 a month for a year; another receives $6,500 up front and then $500 a month from there; and another gets $50 a month. Number of participants: 800 unhoused and low-income households
GeorgiaAtlanta, Georgia
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Location: Atlanta, Southwest Georgia, and the City of College Park Program name:The Georgia Resilience and Opportunity Fund Duration:Fall 2022 - fall 2024 Income amount:Average payments of $850 a month over 24 months Number of participants: 650 low-income Black women
IllinoisChicago, Illinois
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Location: Cook County Program name:The Cook County Promise Duration: December 2022 - December 2024 Income amount: $500 a month for 24 months Number of participants: 3,250 low-to-moderate income families
Location: Evanston Program name:Guaranteed Income Program Duration: First round ran December 2022 - December 2023, second round begins summer 2024 Income amount: $500 a month for one year Number of participants: 150 low-income families
Location: Somerville Program name:The Somerville Guaranteed Basic Income Program Duration: July 2024 - July 2025 Income amount: $750 a month for 12 months Number of participants: 200 low-income families
Basic-income programs were previously run in Boston, Chelsea, and Cambridge.
MarylandBaltimore, Maryland
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Location: Baltimore Program name:The Baltimore Young Families Success Fund Duration: August 2022 - July 2024 Income amount: $1,000 a month for 24 months Number of participants: 200 young parents
MichiganAnn Arbor, Michigan
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Location: Ann Arbor Program name:Guaranteed Income to Grow Ann Arbor Duration: January 2024 - January 2025 Income amount: $528 a month for 24 months Number of participants: 100 low-income entrepreneurs
Location: Flint Program name:Rx Kids Duration: January 2024 - spring 2025 Income amount: $1,500 lump sum, then $500 monthly payments during the first year of a baby's life Number of participants: 1,200 new and expectant mothers
MinnesotaMinneapolis, Minnesota
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Location: Minneapolis Program name:Minneapolis Guaranteed Basic Income Pilot Duration: June 2022 – June 2024 Income amount: $500 a month for two years Number of participants: 200 low-income households
A program in St. Paul began in 2020 and provided basic income to families for 18 months.
New MexicoSanta Fe, New Mexico
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Location: Santa Fe Program name:The City of Santa Fe Learn, Earn, Achieve Program Duration: Initially ran October 2021 - September 2022, extended through the 2023-2024 academic year. Income amount: $400 a month for 12 months Number of participants: 98 young, low-income parents enrolled in a certificate or degree program at the Santa Fe Community College
New YorkNew York City, New York
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Location: New York City, Rochester, and Buffalo Program name:The Bridge Project Duration: June 2021 - ongoing Income amount: Up to $1,000 a month for three years Number of participants: 1,200 low-income mothers
Location: Hudson Program name:HudsonUP Duration: Five years, with staggered cohorts launched in fall 2020, 2021, and 2023 Income amount: $500 a month for 5 years Number of participants: 128 households
A 17-month program in Ulster County that provided basic income to 100 households ended in September 2022, and another program in Ithaca gave a full year of cash payments to unpaid caregivers through May 2023.
TexasSan Antonio, Texas
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Location: San Antonio Program name: UpTogether San Antonio Duration: Summer 2023 - December 2024 Income amount: $500 a month for 18 months Number of participants: 25 low-income families
Location: Harris County Program name:Uplift Harris Duration: Initially scheduled to begin in April 2024, but delayed because of the Texas Supreme Court ruling Income amount: $500 a month for 18 months Number of participants: 1,928 low-income households
An earlier San Antonio program offered $5,108 to 1,000 families over a 25-month period that began in December 2020. The Austin Guaranteed Income Pilot also gave participants $1,000 a month ending in May 2023.
Have you benefited from a guaranteed basic-income program? Are you open to sharing how you spent the money? Reach out to this reporter at allisonkelly@insider.com.
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