Date: 2024-10-31 Page is: DBtxt003.php txt00021975
GUARANTEED BASIC INOCME
A GBI PROGRAM FOR LOS ANGELES
The Community Investment for Families Department Announces BIG:LEAP – the Largest Guaranteed Basic Income Program in the Country
A GBI PROGRAM FOR LOS ANGELES
The Community Investment for Families Department Announces BIG:LEAP – the Largest Guaranteed Basic Income Program in the Country
father kissing baby son on cheek
Original article: https://www.lacity.org/highlights/community-investment-families-department-announces-bigleap-largest-guaranteed-basic
Burgess COMMENTARY
I am a strong advocate for widespread use of Guranteed Basic Income (GBI) as a way to improve socio-enviro-economic performance and am delighted when public or private sector actors implement GBI initiatives.
It should be obvious that for these initiatives to result in sustainable success there has to be scaling up both in terms of numbers of people getting the benefit of the programs, but also scaling up in terms of the length of time the programs operate. Helping a family for one year is better than nothing ... but the reality is that a young person will not be self-sustaining in the modern world until they have been supported by a loving family for the best part of 20 years ... and perhaps longer in the future!!!!!!!!!!!!
The reason why UBI has not become public policy is that it is likely to be very advantageous to the beneficiaries and this is anathemy to a lot of the decision makers in both politics and business who control wealth and its accumulation. The last 40 years have been very good for those who own the economy, but not for most of the people who merely participate in the economy, both as workers and as consumers. Finance has been weaponised to enable sustainable consumption without supporting disposable income ... and of course consumption is an essential driver of a profitable economy. But what about an economically sustainable population ... that has been ignored by those with power and influence for at least the lsst 40 years and there is little sign that it is in the process of changing.
Peter Burgess
October 28, 2021
The pilot will randomly select approximately 3,000 qualifying Angelenos hardest hit by COVID and offer $1,000 a month for a year in direct cash assistance, no strings attached.
LOS ANGELES — Just months after Mayor Eric Garcetti and the City Council announced the formation of the Community Investment for Families Department (CIFD) – tasked with the mission to break the cycle of generational poverty – the CIFD announced today it will serve as the lead administrator of BIG:LEAP, the largest poverty-disrupter pilot program in the country offering no-strings attached direct-cash payments of $1,000 a month for one year to randomly selected qualifying individuals living in poverty and adversely impacted by COVID-19. The 10-day application period begins October 29 and goes through November 7, 2021, and includes local grassroots efforts to inform communities in need.
“$1,000 a month can dramatically change a family’s circumstance, helping them to meet basic needs and eliminate the stress of living paycheck to paycheck,” said Abigail Marquez, General Manager, Community Investment for Families Department. “The emotional burdens and financial challenges that emerged due to COVID have especially devastated Angelenos living below the poverty threshold and will outlast the pandemic itself. BIG:LEAP will help secure the safety and stability of some of our most vulnerable families here in Los Angeles.”
With an estimated $36 million slated for the pilot, BIG:LEAP has the potential to change the way social service support is provided across the nation and launches because of the steadfast leadership of Mayor Garcetti and the City Council and supported with additional funding allocated by Councilman Curren D. Price, Council President Nury Martinez, and Councilmember Marqueece Harris Dawson
In preparation for Friday’s open application period, CIFD has deployed grassroots efforts to ensure hard to reach Angelenos are informed about the program and get support to apply. With the support of the Mayor and City Council, CIFD has tapped into a network of 200+ community-based organizations serving as BIG:LEAP Ambassadors to receive training webinars, social media toolkits, and program guides outlining application criteria and procedures; partnered with 311 as a resource to provide a list of community centers providing access to computers and in-person support; and developed https://BIGLEAP.lacity.org/ with multilingual language accessibility.
'Addressing the Los Angeles’ poverty crisis requires the public, private, philanthropic and nonprofit sectors to all work together, which is exactly the sort of collaboration the Mayor’s Fund was created to foster,” said Deidre Lind, President & CEO of the Mayor’s Fund for Los Angeles. “BIG:LEAP is a landmark initiative that joins City Hall and the community to drive unprecedented change that will improve the lives of families and strengthen our neighborhoods.” The Mayor’s Fund for Los Angeles is helping support the administrative costs of the program. Direct Cash Payments with No Restrictions BIG:LEAP, Basic Income Guaranteed: Los Angeles Economic Assistance Pilot, is the largest demonstration of guaranteed basic income (GBI) in the United States. Direct cash payments to approximately 3,000 qualifying individuals will be unconditional and regular to households living at or below the Federal Poverty Level. There are no restrictions on how the money can be spent and no requirements for the participants. GBI programs are founded upon the belief that people enduring financial instability or poverty are best positioned to make informed financial decisions that efficiently address their household’s needs. GBI programs are leading the charge in innovative and effective social welfare policy initiatives. Qualifying Criteria & How To Apply Interested individuals must meet all five qualifying criteria:
- Reside in the City of Los Angeles
- Be 18 years of age or older
- Income level at or below the Federal Poverty Level
- Have at least one dependent child or be pregnant
- Experienced economic and/or medical hardship due to COVID-19