N.Y.C. Mayor Candidate Pitches Largest Guaranteed Income Program in U.S.
The New York Times
Adrienne Adams, the New York City Council speaker who is running for mayor, released a plan to provide guaranteed income for thousands of homeless families.
Adrienne Adams, the New York City Council speaker who is running for mayor, proposed on Monday a guaranteed basic income program that would be the largest of its kind in the United States.
It would aim to help more than 21,000 homeless children and young adults.
The idea of giving families monthly checks — with no strings attached — took off across the nation during the pandemic after many people lost their jobs. Ms. Adams’s plan is her top campaign proposal as she tries to stand out from a crowded field of Democrats running in the June primary as the best alternative to former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, who leads in polls.
As Council speaker, Ms. Adams helped fund a guaranteed income program for 161 pregnant women.
“Ideology doesn’t solve problems: proven solutions do,” Ms. Adams said in a statement, adding that she wants to make sure that “we can end homelessness for the next generation by leading with what works.”
The program would help 15,000 homeless children who are 5 years old and younger, 6,000 unaccompanied homeless youth who are ages 18 to 24 and about 500 young adults who exit the foster system care on their own each year. It would provide an initial one-time stipend of $2,500, followed by monthly payments over three years that start at $1,000 per month and then fall to $500 per month.
