Georgia successfully implements a basic income program for black women

Georgia’s version of the universal basic income (UBI) program has been a success amongst black women. Its positive result could end in the expansion of comparable programs throughout the country.

The In Your Hands initiative began through the Georgia Resilience and Opportunity (GRO) Fund. The nonprofit organization chosen 654 women through a lottery to receive in keeping with ., a median of $850 monthly to cover on a regular basis expenses. The women will collect monthly allocations for two years, and the GRO fund will partner with one other New York-based nonprofit, Give Directly, for the operation.

Most of the women within the In Your Hands program have children, and all of them earn lower than 200% of the federal poverty level. The more money was largely used for their kid’s needs, comparable to childcare and grocery shopping. However, study participants were also 60% more more likely to enroll in higher education. The reality of this program further undermines the “welfare queen” stereotype historically related to black women on public assistance.

Data collected from participants showed that lots of them spend extra funds to cut back the stress of living expenses in Georgia. The findings show that 45% used the cash for bills and almost a third were in a position to repay their debt. Nearly 30% used the additional money to create a rainy day fund in case of an unexpected emergency.

The results hope to prove the worth of implementing a guaranteed UBI for Americans. Currently, private sources fund the Georgia-based In Your Hands initiative and other initiatives in cities like Washington. But their findings are intended to encourage lawmakers to implement federally supported programs across the country.

“The vast majority of people (receiving a guaranteed income) do not leave their jobs and use the money either to pursue their goals or to provide basic necessities,” explained Stephen Roll, professor of public policy at Washington University in St. Louis .

UBI continues to assist communities of color by countering conservative beliefs that it encourages people to misuse funds. The next step, beyond cities implementing UBI of their budgets, could be for these programs to construct individual wealth.