$1,000 Monthly Payment Planned for Austin Families Through Universal Basic Income

Austin is set to launch the very first universal basic income program in the state of Texas, where some residents may be qualified to receive $1,000 per month.

On Thursday, April 21, members of the Austin City Council will vote on whether to approve or disapprove UpTogether, a California non-profit, to manage and establish the universal basic income (UBI) program for the city, per KVUE.

If the proposal gains approval, UpTogether will have to find 85 local families who could use the $1,000 monthly payment. These families are supposed to belong to the underprivileged sector, who will need the financial boost to thrive economically.

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Who Will Qualify? When Will UBI Roll Out?

According to the Austin-American Statement, the city council approved $1.1 million in funding for the UBI last summer and if UpTogether has narrowed down the qualified families, the program could roll out as early as May or June this year.

Locals will need to apply for eligibility based on the qualifications that have yet to be established by UpTogether. The organization will also help the city choose which family should get the monthly payments given the limited slots for the pilot phase.

Brian Oaks, Austin's chief equity officer, believes that priority must be focused on families at risk of eviction. He will work with UpTogether on fine-tuning the process of application. It comes as Austin has ended its ban on evictions due to the pandemic as of March 2022 thus a rise in eviction cases could be seen in the next months.

However, those who are chosen to get the $1,000 monthly payments, who may be part of the program for 12 months, could use the money for other expenses as well, such as food or child care. Council members expect that UBI will provide some stability and security for families who are "living on the edge."

Mayor Steve Adler said that he was doubtful of the UBI when it was initially proposed in 2021 as it was still not clear how taxpayers' money could be managed well. However, he's committed to supporting the initiative with UpTogether overseeing the process.

In 2021, UpTogether ran a private basic income program for 125 Austin families.  

Think Tanks Will Observe Austin's UBI Program

The Austin Monitor reported that think tanks from Washington D.C. will be observing and studying Austin's universal basic income program. Urban Institute apparently wants to see how the cash influx will benefit families and determine if such a program should be permanently adopted by other cities as well.

Austin, however, is not the first U.S. city to roll out a universal basic income program as similar initiatives have been in place in Los Angeles (California), Sante Fe (California), and New Orleans (Louisiana). Families in these cities have used their monthly benefit mostly on food.

Most of these programs have been based on the UBI initiative in Stockton, California, which has been running since 2019. Palm Springs in California is also considering a UBI of $900 per month for transgender or nonbinary non-residents.

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