Baltimore’s ‘guaranteed income’ pilot program

Readers weigh in on mayor’s plan to give 200 low-income families $1,000 a month

Go the extra mile to give young families a leg up, Baltimore

It is encouraging to see the new guaranteed income pilot starting in Baltimore (“Baltimore mayor: A guaranteed income can improve the quality of life for city families,” April 20). Providing cash assistance does contribute to a more stable household, but money alone is insufficient.

When babies enter our lives, the world changes in ways we don’t imagine. Parents who qualify for this pilot are between the ages of 18 and 24 and live 300 % below the federal poverty level. What else do they need in addition to cash assistance? I’m sure the list is long. Let’s give these families a chance for success by including wraparound services, a self-assessment tool or some life coaching to help them identity their options and plan for their family’s future.

Generational poverty is a hard place to get past without guidance and a new vision of what’s possible. It seems to me local agencies refrain from setting a high bar and promoting accountability for fear of embarrassing the people who need help the most. As home to the Bloomberg School of Public Health, University of Maryland School of Social Work, the Annie E. Casey and Abell foundations, and Morgan State University, Baltimore City can design a better pilot. Please don’t let poverty be the legacy for these young families. Go the extra mile to give them a leg up.

— Susan Gossling Walters, White Hall