The city of Compton, in California, with a Latino majority, will give
a monthly payment
to 800 of its poorest inhabitants
for two years
.
This income will be part of a pilot program to support immigrants with different legal status, as well as residents with informal or irregular employment.
The
Compton Pledge
, announced Monday by Mayor Aja Brown, was designed to "challenge racial and economic injustice" of social programs and economic systems.
“People in our community are going through tough times, and I know that a guaranteed income could give people a moment to navigate their situation and
have a break
to go back to school, explore a new career, spend time with their children. , or improve their mental and emotional well-being, ”Brown said in a statement.
[The White House insists on negotiating the aid check despite the opposition of the Senate and gives 48 hours for the agreement]
The pilot program will be launched at the end of the year.
A pre-verified group of residents will be notified to begin receiving their cash transfers.
However, the exact amount of the benefit has not yet been determined, a spokesman for the mayor's office told CNN.
In Compton, a city of 95,000 residents,
one in five people
lives below the poverty line, which is twice the national average, according to the Census.
Furthermore, unemployment rates have risen to 22% since the start of the pandemic.
The
68% of residents are Latino
and 30% African Americans, many of whom are unemployed or earn very low wages do not qualify for government assistance, according to program information.
“The idea of guaranteed income is simple but powerful: unconditional, direct and continuous cash payments made to all residents to supplement existing social benefits.
By ensuring that no one falls below a defined income floor over time, it creates a true
safety net,
”the program's online platform abounds.
The program is funded by
2.5 million dollars
, thanks to private donations and the support of the organizations Fund for Guaranteed Income and the Jain Family Institute.
Latino workers in the food industry, among those most affected by COVID-19
Oct. 21, 202002: 18
In September, mayors from 25 cities formed the Mayors for Guaranteed Income group in an effort to provide a universal income to combat poverty.
Michael Tubbs, mayor of
Stockton, California
, launched one of the first universal income programs last year.
From January 2019 to the same month the following year, 125 people received $ 500 a month.
The resources were obtained thanks to private donations from Silicon Valley.
In September, the city of
St. Paul, Minnesota
, confirmed a universal income of $ 500 for 150 low-income families who were also affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
Funding for the program will be made with funds from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES).
Future universal income programs will also be launched in Hudson and Mount Vernon, New York;
Oakland and Long Beach, California;
Tacoma, Washington, and Paterson, New Jersey.
“We live in a city right now where people feel like they just
work, pay the bills, and die
.
Being in one of the most powerful nations in the world, that shouldn't be the way people live, "said Mayor William Peduto of Pittsburgh, who will award $ 500 a month to 200 families.
[Negotiations for a second check for $ 1,200 have taken five months. Why is aid still an uncertainty?]
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has also promised to launch a program that could benefit undocumented immigrants.
However, universal income programs have received several criticisms from conservative groups who consider the socialist idea.
“The concept of universal minimum income is silly.
It discourages work
and that is socially destructive, ”said Jon Coupal, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association.
With information from CNN and The Associated Press.