US County Leaders Join A Push for Guaranteed Income Programs
A new coalition called Counties for a Guaranteed Income seeks to extend the work of cities and mayors who piloted monthly cash payments for their most vulnerable residents.
A mother and son walk through one of the neighborhoods of Stockton, California, in 2020, where residents participated in an two-year trial of universal basic income. Officials are now starting such programs at the county level.
Photographer: Nick Otto/AFP via Getty Images
Two of the largest counties in the US are leading a new coalition to advocate for programs that provide no-strings-attached cash payments to residents in need, an effort that could extend the success of guaranteed income pilots born out of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Chicago’s Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly Mitchell, both of whom have launched guaranteed income programs in their communities, will serve as co-chairs of Counties for a Guaranteed Income, a 20-member coalition formed to lobby locally and nationally for cash-first assistance policies.