William La Jeunesse reports on programs setting aside cash for minority groups
A California guaranteed income pilot program intended to lift families out of poverty failed to lead participants to long-term financial independence, according to a newstudyfrom researchers at the University of California, Davis.
The Yolo County Basic Income (YoBI)programprovided "no-strings-attached" cash assistance to a highly targeted group of at-risk residents.
While the payments served as a temporary lifeline, researchers found that, for the "significant majority" of participants, the program was not enough to break the cycle of poverty.
"While [Basic Income] reduced some of the immediate urgency around money and allowed families some stability, most participants still had unmet financial needs," the study reported.
FLORIDA OFFICIALS WARNED TO AVOID REPARATIONS-STYLE EFFORT AS STATE GEARS UP TO RESTRICT DEI EVEN FURTHER
Yolo County is one of many local municipalities providing no-strings attached cash assistance in an attempt to alleviate poverty.(Photo illustration by Thomas Trutschel/Photothek via Getty Images)
The program differed from standard Universal Basic Income (UBI) by focusing exclusively on families with children under age 6 already enrolled in the state’s CalWORKs program and experiencing homelessness or housing instability.
Nolan Sullivan, the former interim director of Yolo County Health and Human Services, described the initiative in 2022 as a "super targeted basic income" (TBI).
"It’s not just like randomly distributing wealth amongst a group of people," Sullivansaidat the time. "We are laser-focused on one particular group ... really trying to break the rule of generational poverty."
Source: California Post – Breaking California News, Photos & Videos
