The universal basic income has become a conversation that has picked up speed again since the beginning of COVID-19, or novel coronaviruses, pandemics and mass layoffs have followed. As a result, many people across the country have been severely affected by the economic fallout from the virus. To help curb the impact of the public health crisis, Compton Mayor Aja Brown is creating a new program to provide 800 community residents with a basic income.
The Compton Pledge is a new pilot program the city is launching to help those who have lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 crisis. The new initiative would provide free money for two years, with private donors contributing $ 2.5 million to fund the project.
“I realized the need for additional income, particularly due to the pandemic that is creating a record high number of unemployed across the country,” the mayor told the Los Angeles Times. “This is a great opportunity to remove inequalities for blacks and browns, as well as additional opportunities for upward mobility.”
The program is aimed at the city’s most vulnerable populations, particularly the Black and Latinx communities, as well as formerly incarcerated residents. Brown succeeds Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs, who started a similar cash program back in June this year. Together with Tubbs, she set up the Guaranteed Income Mayors to launch the pilot programs in more cities across the country.
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