Oakland Resilient Families – Oakland Guaranteed Income Program Introduced By Mayor Schaaf
ONN – Oakland Resilient Families – Oakland Guaranteed Income Program Introduced By Mayor Schaaf – vlog by Zennie62 YouTube
Watch the vlog Oakland Resilient Families – Oakland Guaranteed Income Program Introduced By Mayor Schaaf
The Tuesday morning ZOOM meeting also included Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs and Oakland District Six Councilmember Loren Taylor.
Oakland will host one of the largest guaranteed income pilot projects in the country to give 600 BIPOC families with low-incomes an unconditional $500 per month for at least 18 months.
Oakland Resilient Families is a collaboration between the Oakland-based community organization Family Independence Initiative and the national Mayors for a Guaranteed Income. The project will support 600 Oakland families while building momentum for strategies to eliminate racial disparities in economic stability, mobility, and assets through a guaranteed income.
“The poverty we all witness today is not a personal failure, it is a systems failure,” said Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf. “Guaranteed income is one of the most promising tools for systems change, racial equity, and economic mobility we’ve seen in decades. I’m proud to work with such committed local partners to build a new system that can help undo centuries of economic and racial injustice, and point us all toward a more just society.
The Oakland Resilient Families partnership is excited to announce the framework design for community feedback, with the goal of starting payments this spring and summer.
Key Points:
Who is this for? Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) (i.e. groups with the greatest wealth disparities per the Oakland Equity Index) with low incomes and at least 1 child under 18, regardless of documentation status. The term “family” is defined broadly to recognize that families come in all shapes and sizes.
How is “low-income” defined? At or below 50% of Area Median Income (about $59,000 per year for a family of 3), however half of the spots are reserved for very-low income families earning below 138% of the Federal Poverty Level (about $30,000 per year for a family of 3).
How are families chosen and how will they apply? Later this spring and summer, and after considerable community outreach efforts that begin with today’s announcement, a multilingual online form will be released where families can answer a few questions to screen for eligibility. After that families are randomly selected to receive the cash payments.
How can the money be used? In any way families want. Families will receive $500 per month for 18 months, unconditionally, to use however they choose.
When will this start? The goal is to begin payments to families this spring after incorporating more community feedback and to have the entire program up and running this summer.
Oakland Resilient Families began with a pledge to bring a guaranteed income program to Oakland when Mayor Libby Schaaf joined Mayors for a Guaranteed Income as a founding mayor in 2020. Mayors for a Guaranteed Income (MGI) grew out of the groundbreaking Stockton Economic Empowerment Demonstration (SEED) led by former Mayor Michael Tubbs.
In preliminary results released earlier this month, gathered from Feb. 2019 to Feb. 2020, SEED found recipients obtained full-time employment at more than twice the rate of non-recipients. Recipients were less anxious and depressed, both over time and compared to the control group. They also saw statistically significant improvements in emotional health, fatigue levels and overall well-being.
“One of my hopes in testing out a guaranteed income is that other cities would follow suit, and I’m thrilled that Oakland is among the first. I applaud Mayor Schaaf’s leadership and am looking forward to working with her to move from pilot to policy,” said former Stockton Mayor and Founder of Mayors for a Guaranteed Income, Michael Tubbs.
The project team includes Oakland-based national non-profit Family Independence Initiative (FII) as the implementing partner and Oakland Thrives provides backbone support and coordination.
In partnership with local community organizations and government leaders, Oakland Resilient Families will continue incorporating community feedback on design and implementation.
“As a Council representative for East Oakland, an area that faces many challenges including economic disparities and historic underinvestment, I am excited to see this innovative program come to Oakland,” said Councilmember Loren Taylor. “While traditional outreach often comes up short – failing to effectively engage those with the most need, I am ready to help lead a more effective community engagement process to bring hope and relief to those who have not had the chance to benefit from the same prosperity and opportunities in Oakland.”
Oakland Resilient Families is 100% funded through philanthropic donations anchored by an investment from Blue Meridian Partners’ Place Matters portfolio..
Stay tuned.
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