Will ‘basic income’ become the California norm?
spending and saving habits, and how it influences other factors such as quality of life and financial stability.
The money for the program comes from a $1 million grant from the Economic Security Project, a network organization that has raised $10 million to fund and explore universal basic income programs and their viability.
“I think (the program) will make people work better and smarter and harder,” Mayor Michael Tubbs told NPR last year. “We’re not just designed just to work all day and run a rat race. We’re designed to be in community, to volunteer, to vote, to raise our kids. And I think the more inputs and investments we can give in people to do those things, the better off we are as a community.”
Last year, 4,200 letters were randomly sent to individuals living in areas Downtown Stockton is shown in this photo.
with a median household income at or below $46,033, the city’s median at the time.
That approach let the program target poorer communities while allowing selection of a diverse pool of participants, Samra said. The only other eligibility
requirement was that participants be at least 18 years old.
From the respondents, SEED selected a group of 130 recipients taking into account the city’s gender, age and racial diversity, Samra said.
Researchers will regularly check in with recipients to conduct quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews – “How are people feeling? How are people spending money? Are people spending more time with families? How are health outcomes changing?” Samra said.