To make guaranteed basic income a reality, Santa Clara County leaders turned to a real world trial. Now their efforts are making strides, but it couldn’t come at a darker time for the county’s social safety net outlook.
A historic set of four simultaneous pilot programs is providing $1,200 in guaranteed basic income per month with no strings attached for two years, totaling $28,800. The money is going to a select pool of low-income county residents. Meanwhile, a pool of people selected for each program’s control group receives no money — just supportive services. Each program targets different categories of people who rely on county services, largely coming from regions of highest need: South County, East San Jose and pockets of North County.
Yet just as the programs are finding their footing, future funding looks uncertain with massive federal spending cuts threatening $1 billion in losses to the county annually…