$23,000,000 Up for Grabs As Basic Income Pilots Prepare to Hand Out Cash Across US

Basic income trials are rolling out across the US as governments and organizations prepare to hand out millions of dollars with no strings attached.

A new guaranteed income pilot in Sacramento, California is set to disperse a total of $780,000 over the course of a year.

The pilot will give $500 per month to 130 families to determine how cash handouts can help people who are struggling to keep a roof over their head and put food on the table.

The pilot is powered by the United Way California Capital Region and a donation from the Sierra Health Foundation, with the application period open until October 31st.

Meanwhile, the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation has allocated $6.2 million to fuel a basic income for women of color in Georgia, reports RoughDraft Atlanta.

The money will be used to fund the In Her Hands initiative, which aims to give an average of $850 per month for 24 months to 650 women across three communities in Georgia.

The above programs join a $2 million basic income initiative in Fairfax County, Virginia, along with a $1.2 million initiative in Ann Arbor, Michigan, a $1.3 million pilot in Austin, Texas, a $449,400 trial in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and a $12 million guaranteed income campaign in Santa Clara County, California – for a total of more than $23 million in upcoming guaranteed income handouts across America.

Although the impact of basic income programs is an ongoing debate, early results from a guaranteed income pilot in Denver, Colorado found that six months into the trial, rates of homelessness and food insecurity have dropped among participants, with shelter and employment rates on the rise.

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