Governor Gavin Newsom announced a public-private partnership with philanthropic organizations that will help them fund their guaranteed income pilot programs using state-provided grants. The initiative—called the Guaranteed Income Pooled Fund—will provide over $25 million in funding to various state nonprofits.
Once implemented, the guaranteed income programs are expected to give up to 1,975 California residents “no strings attached” money for anywhere from a year to 18 months. The money available will be in the range of $600 to $1,200 a month per recipient, depending on the specifications of each program.
First state-funded guaranteed income program
Over the last few years, many states and municipalities have launched guaranteed income programs using federal pandemic relief money as their funding source. Under new mandates from Newsom and the California Department of Social Services (CDSS), California will become the first state to fund these programs using money provided directly from the state’s coffers.
In a CDSS press release, the initial funding will focus on providing monthly payments to the following groups of people:
- Pregnant individuals affected by perinatal health disparities
- Pregnant individuals with diabetes
- Former foster youth
This video from KTVU Fox 2 San Francisco spotlights how the funding will benefit the recipients:
What are guaranteed income programs?
Guaranteed income (also known as “universal basic income”) refers to government and private programs that give unconditional money directly to specific individuals that meet the program’s requirements.
For example, some programs will offer money to people with moderate incomes, low-income families with children, people who live in certain neighborhoods or zip codes, or young people who have aged out of the foster care system.
Recipients can use the money for whatever they choose each month. Some studies indicate that the money is often spent on housing costs, food, utilities, healthcare, child care, transportation, and educational expenses.
Here’s what Governor Newsom says about California’s expansion of these programs:
“As people across the country struggle with global inflation, this guaranteed income pilot program provides some much-needed support and breathing room for the most vulnerable Californians. This public-private partnership will accelerate our ability to get money to these individuals and families, showcasing Californians coming together to support one another.”
Examples of guaranteed income programs
Over the last year, I’ve written about several guaranteed income programs. If you’re interested in learning more about these programs, check out my previous articles:
- One Santa Clara program gives $1,000 a month to select families.
- In San Francisco, there’s a program that helps former foster youth with payments of $1,200 a month.
- Some Long Beach residents will receive a total of $6,000 over one year in guaranteed income.
- San Diego has two programs designed to help families with $1,000 a month payments.
Would you like to learn more about guaranteed income programs?
Then be sure to like this content and follow me for updates on future programs. My goal is to share information that can be useful to anyone who might need a little extra support during these challenging times.
Thanks so much for reading—I look forward to writing more articles like this one in 2023!
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