Philly wants to try ‘basic income’
The idea of giving citizens a monthly basic income has come up on the presidential campaign trail. Now, Philly wants to try it as a way to lift some residents out of poverty.
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Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney delivers the 2020 budget address in council chambers. (Kimberly Paynter/WHYY)
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The idea of a “universal basic income” or giving people monthly cash payments gained traction on the 2020 campaign trail. Now, Philadelphia wants to try it as a way to lift some low-income renters out of poverty. Could it work? Here’s a look at what Philly leaders are proposing and how a basic income experiment is playing out in Stockton, California.
Guests: Jake Blumgart, WHYY’s PlanPhilly and Amy Castro Baker, University of Pennsylvania professor
WHYY is one of over 20 news organizations producing Broke in Philly, a collaborative reporting project on solutions to poverty and the city’s push towards economic justice. Follow us at @BrokeInPhilly.
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