In 2022, the city of Durham launched one of the state’s first guaranteed-income programs, offering cash payments to formerly incarcerated people.
For almost a year, the Excel program gave 109 randomly selected people $600 a month to help them re-enter society and combat racial and gender income disparities.
Although the pilot program ended in 2023, some Durham City Council members have pushed for its continuation, with Mayor Pro Tem Mark-Anthony Middleton proposing $1 million in city money…