Des Moines, Iowa — It’s not universal basic income, but a similar concept is being tried out in Iowa on a smaller scale.
A group of low-income families in central Iowa will get a financial boost from a program that nonprofit leaders hope will be a better way to reduce poverty. One-hundred-ten families in Polk, Dallas, and Warren counties will get 500 dollars per month to spend as they choose through the pilot project called UpLift. Anne Bacon, of IMPACT Community Action Partnership in Des Moines, says that extra cash can keep an unexpected bill from becoming a financial crisis.
The two-year program is funded through private foundations and local governments including 500 thousand dollars from the City of Des Moines through the American Rescue Plan. Similar programs are already in place in Stockton, California, and St. Paul, Minnesota. Nalo Johnson, of the Mid-Iowa Health Foundation, says the goal of the project is to study how well income assistance works to reduce poverty.
Researchers with the University of Pennsylvania will gather data from participants to learn how guaranteed income affects things like food security, housing stability, and mental health. Interested applicants can apply from now through February 27th, 2023 at UpLiftIowa.org. The 110 families will be picked at random from the applicant pool. The first payments will go out in May.
