Oakland Launches Basic Income Pilot Program: $500 in Guaranteed Income to 600 Families.
On Tuesday, Mayor Libby Schaaf took to Twitter to announce the launch of “Oakland Resilient Families" in Oakland, California.
The pilot program will provide guaranteed income to 600 families in the form of $500 a month.
.
According to Schaaf, the program will span 18 months and benefit Black, Indigenous and other people of color.
.
In a video message, Schaaf said she believes guaranteed income is the “most transformative policy” to achieve their “vision” of a closed racial wealth gap.
.
Our vision is an Oakland that has closed the racial wealth gap and where all families thrive, … we believe that guaranteed income is the most transformative policy to achieve this vision and whose time has come.
We believe poverty is not personal failure, it is policy failure, Libby Schaaf, via 'Complex'.
“Oakland Resilient Families” will be open to all residents, including undocumented people.
Households are eligible if they have at least one child under 18 years old and are earning at or below 50 percent of the area's median income.
.
300 spots in the program will be reserved for “very-low-income families” that earn $30,000 or less annually.