Austin begins guaranteed income program

The city of Austin, Texas, will begin a guaranteed income pilot program over the coming year, becoming the first city in the Lone Star State to launch such an initiative.

The Austin City Council in a meeting Thursday voted to approve a contract between the city of Austin and anti-poverty innovation company UpTogether that will “administer a guaranteed income pilot program.”

UpTogether, formerly the Family Independence Initiative, invests money into programs that provide aid to people in disadvantaged communities.

The council authorized the contract for a one-year term “in an amount not to exceed $1,180,000.”

“I am supporting a guaranteed basic income pilot program in Austin to help working people and families become more resilient to financial emergencies, make rent, cover childcare and put food on the table,” Austin Mayor Steve Adler (D) tweeted before the vote.

The pilot program will “provide 85 households with $1,000 a month for one year,” wrote the official Twitter account for the city of Austin.

A memorandum earlier this month described the additional support that would be provided to the households chosen for the pilot program.

“The pilot will include both direct cash investment for households over the 12-month period, as well as the creation of the opportunity for participants to convene virtually in small groups to learn from each other’s knowledge and skills, exchange resources, be connected to additional City of Austin services in partnership with Austin Public Health, and set and share goals to support one another in their self-determined paths,” the memo read.