The program is the latest experiment with a "guaranteed income," the idea that giving low-income individuals a regular, monthly stipend helps ease the stresses of poverty and results in better health and upward economic mobility.
The idea isn't new, but it's having a revival across the U. Tubbs, who later founded the group Mayors for a Guaranteed Income, expects six other cities to launch similar programs by this summer. An analysis of the first year of the Stockton Economic Empowerment Demonstration SEED found that compared to a control group, residents who received regular payments experienced less income volatility, secured more full-time employment, were better parents and partners, and even saw improvements in their health and overall well-being.
Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf said of her city's new initiative: "We have designed this demonstration project to add to the body of evidence, and to begin this relentless campaign to adopt a guaranteed income federally,".
Participants will be randomly selected from a pool of applicants who meet the eligibility requirements. Oakland's project is significant because it is one of the largest efforts in the U. And it is the first program to limit participation strictly to Black, Indigenous and people of color communities. The reason: White households in Oakland on average make about three times as much annually than black households, according to the Oakland Equity Index.
It's also a nod to the legacy of the Black Panther Party, the political movement that was founded in Oakland in the s. The idea of a guaranteed income dates to the 18th century. The U. Analyses of the programs found that the money did not stop people from working, leading Nixon to recommend expanding the program.
