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Guaranteed Income Could Expand In LA County. Here's Who Might Benefit
Guaranteed income is a payment from the government that comes with no conditions regarding how the money is spent.
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The L.A. County Board of Supervisors is set to vote Tuesday on a motion to expand the region’s guaranteed income program to include an additional 200 former foster youth. If approved, participants would receive $1,000 a month for two years.
What is guaranteed income?
Guaranteed income is a payment from the government that comes with no conditions regarding how the money is spent. The concept has been growing in popularity across the country. In California, dozens of similar programs are currently in operation or planning to launch.
The backstory
The supervisors who support the motion say the expansion will help former foster youth achieve financial stability and complete deferred schooling. If approved, researchers will study the long-term impacts that a guaranteed basic income has on the participants' well-being.
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L.A. County first launched the program in 2022, originally opening it up to 1,000 low-income residents who'd taken a financial hit due to the pandemic. These participants were randomly selected to receive $1,000 a month for three years.
The program, called “Breathe,” comes on the heels of a few others launched in 2021, including one in South L.A. and another in Long Beach. The city of El Monte also recently launched a guaranteed income program that will provide 125 single mothers with $500 per month for one year.
Where to watch
You can watch a live broadcast of the meeting on the board of supervisors’ website. The meeting begins Tuesday at 9:30 a.m.
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