Without a dedicated funding stream, I wonder what happens when the money runs out. Don't get me wrong, I think it's a good idea -- just wondering about the long term outcome. Via NY Daily News:
A new program in St. Louis will give $500 a month to low-income families for 18 months, an effort to help prevent the root causes of crime, city officials said. The city’s Mayor Tishaura Jones announced Tuesday that the funds will go to hundreds of households across the city, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
“St. Louis’ guaranteed basic income will give hundreds of St. Louis families the resources they need to lift themselves out of poverty, giving them a strong foundation to grow and to thrive,” Jones said during a news conference. A website is already available for those interested and will begin taking applications later this month. The city plans to start doling out the money in December through debit cards.
About 540 St. Louis households are expected to receive the benefits, with the money going to parents or guardians of children enrolled at city public schools. Those eligible include families making 170% of the federal poverty line or less, which comes to roughly $42,000 for a family of three.
The city is using $5 million in federal pandemic aid for the program:
St. Louis native Jack Dorsey, the co-founder of Twitter and Square, signed on to donate $1 million to the initiative.
St. Louis itself experimented with the idea in 2021 and 2022, sending a round of one-time $500 checks to over 9,000 households to help families afford groceries, utilities and other essentials.
