Mayors for a Guaranteed Income

Happy birthday to Counties for a Guaranteed Income! 🎉

This month marks the three year anniversary of organizing our coalition of over 50 county leaders who are stepping up to provide economic stability for families across the United States.

This is BIG: over 88 GI policies have been proposed at the state level in over half the country.

As the federal government dismantles the safety net, our growing list of Legislators for a Guaranteed Income are advancing policies to provide urgently needed economic stability.

More cities, like Indianapolis, IN are not just implementing guaranteed income programs, but expanding them.

Why? Well, because quite simply, they work.

Welcome, Mayor Samuel Parham! 🎉

Thanks for joining over 250 other elected officials from across the country who've committed to winning financial stability and opportunity for their constituents and for all American families.

Glad to have you in this fight!

Opinion: New York families deserve more than survival. A guaranteed income will help. Pilot programs in Ithaca, Rochester and Mount Vernon show the value of providing cash support without strings attached.

Three NY Mayors highlight the successes of guaranteed income programs in their respective cities, for @cityandstateny.

Read more at: https://www.cityandstateny.com/opinion/2026/02/opinion-new-york-families-deserve-more-survival-guaranteed-income-will-help/411268/

MGI Co-chair Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott: "I'm so honored to be the co-chair as someone who has had a program, but who wants to see this grow so that one day in this country we will have a guaranteed income program at the federal level"

New coverage of Rochester, NY's guaranteed basic income pilot program:

"The program that paid families $500 a month for more than a year worked".

MGI founder Michael Tubbs has a message for member mayors at the US Council of Mayors annual conference: keep advocating for your constituents, keep innovating, because the momentum is with us.

This image features a quote from the Mayor of Harrisonburg, VA, Deanna Reed, about the importance of community service and joining Mayors for a Guaranteed Income. A person wearing a blue suit and glasses stands in front of a purple background. The logo for Mayors for a Guaranteed Income is present.

Welcome, Harrisonburg, VA Mayor Deanna Reed!

Thank you for joining hundreds of elected leaders from across the country– representing big cities to small towns–who are fighting for financial stability and economic dignity for American families.

Graphic with image of Caroline Torosis, Mayor of Santa Monica, CA, with a quote: "Affordability is no longer a challenge facing only the lowest-income households; it affects renters and homeowners, families with young children, seniors on fixed incomes, working professionals, small business employees, and longtime residents alike. As Mayor, I'm advancing targeted affordability strategies using proven local and national models. I'm proud to join Mayors for a Guaranteed Income and continue working hard to boost the financial stability of Santa Monica residents."

Welcome, Santa Monica Mayor Caroline Torosis!

We are honored that you've joined hundreds of other elected leaders from across the country fighting for policies that deliver financial stability and economic dignity for American families.

Graphic welcoming Mayor Scott as Co-Chair for Mayors for a Guaranteed Income, featuring the mayor against a purple background.

We are excited to announce Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott as the new co-chair of Mayors for a Guaranteed Income.

As a champion for a municipal pilot program that supported local families, Mayor Scott will continue to lead nationally towards a future where all Americans have an income floor.

Charles Colbert, Mayor of Upper Marlboro, MD, stands smiling in a professional portrait. The image is accompanied by a text about advocating for guaranteed income to improve local economies and social outcomes, with a mention of the Mayors for a Guaranteed Income initiative.

Welcome to Mayors for Guaranteed Income, Mayor Colbert!

We are excited to partner with you to build a fairer future in Upper Marlboro, MD and beyond.

Martin Luther King Jr. was ahead of his time in pushing for universal basic income • Pennsylvania Capital-Star Each year on the holiday that bears his name, Martin Luther King Jr. is remembered for his immense contributions to the struggle for racial equality. What is less often remembered but equally importan...

Commentary:

In recent years, more than a dozen U.S. cities have run universal basic income programs, often smaller or pilot programs that have offered guaranteed basic incomes to select groups of needy residents.

From @theconversation.com

» Ann Arbor residents spend guaranteed income on food, household supplies, housing

"One year into Ann Arbor’s guaranteed income pilot program, the most common uses of the monthly payments of $528 to 100 entrepreneurs and gig workers who have low incomes [...] were food, household supplies, and housing, according to a new report from the University of Michigan." #A2Council

Martin Luther King Jr. was ahead of his time in pushing for universal basic income The policy of providing guaranteed cash incomes has gained momentum in recent years. This tool to tackle inequality has the potential to address racial resentment.

MLK believed civil rights and economic justice were inseparable — and that’s why he pushed for universal basic income: guaranteed cash for everyone to cover basic needs.

buff.ly/7ssoybQ
#MLKDay

Martin Luther King Jr. was talking about a universal basic income before it was cool Martin Luther King Jr. advocated for a guaranteed annual income in his 1967 book "Where Do We Go From Here?"

Martin Luther King Jr. advocated for a guaranteed annual income in his 1967 book "Where Do We Go From Here?"

Why the MLK economic justice plan still matters Daily, more people are realizing that the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. we were taught growing up represents only a fraction of the man and his mission.

King called poverty “socially as cruel and blind as cannibalism” and urged its “total, direct and immediate abolition.”

https://www.miamitimesonline.com/business/why-the-mlk-economic-justice-plan-still-matters/article_aaa33464-ba50-45af-9f76-1c9ed29fb8f3.html

Data from St. Louis, MO — Guaranteed Income Works

St. Louis, MO provided $500/month to 540 households with school-aged children.

The result? Increased financial stability, improved food security, reduced barriers to employment and increased enrichment for children.

Full report: https://www.guaranteedincomeworks.org/data-from-st-louis-mo

In 1967, Dr. Martin Luther King wrote Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community? and called for the immediate abolition of poverty, and for a guaranteed basic income for all Americans.

We honor his legacy by continuing the fight for a more just, more fair economy for all.

The Falling Cost of Basic Income in the United States, 1967–2024: Estimates for a Plan Large Enough to Eliminate Poverty This article estimates the cost of Universal Basic Income (UBI) sufficient to eliminate poverty in the United States. It uses the most recent microdata available from the Census Bureau through its Cur...

Jack Rossbach & find that a poverty-line UBI costs only 2.67% of GDP. The cost/GDP has been falling for over 50 years.

2026, “The Falling Cost of Basic Income: Updated and Expanded Back-of-the-Envelope Calculations.” Basic Income Studies, pages 1-37. DOI: doi.org/10.1515/bis-...

Martin Luther King Jr. was ahead of his time in pushing for universal basic income The policy of providing guaranteed cash incomes has gained momentum in recent years. This tool to tackle inequality has the potential to address racial resentment.

"There is one notable group that does not support universal basic income: those with higher levels of racial resentment... Racial prejudice continues to fuel opposition to universal basic income, as well as other forms of social welfare. But our research suggests that this is not insurmountable."

Martin Luther King Jr. was ahead of his time in pushing for universal basic income The policy of providing guaranteed cash incomes has gained momentum in recent years. This tool to tackle inequality has the potential to address racial resentment.

MLK was talking about universal basic income before it was trendy.

He believed it could be a cause to unite poor people of all races. And even people with racial biases are more likely to support universal basic income when they’re struggling financially.

Data from Rochester, NY — Guaranteed Income Works

Rochester, NY gave $500/month to over 350 residents. The result? More financial stability, better housing security and increased employment.

Learn more about the results of the Notre Dame-led randomized control trial study: https://www.guaranteedincomeworks.org/data-from-rochester-ny

Hoboken’s mayor has signed an executive order to create a Guaranteed Basic Income Task Force.
It will explore how direct, regular cash payments strengthen economic security and reduce inequality for residents, advancing research and implementation. zurl.co/z2abN

Notre Dame reports success of guaranteed basic income program — will it go national? - OSV News Guaranteed basic income, also known as universal basic income, is one of the more contested threads in America's social safety net.

Headline asks: will GBI go national?

Over 300k Americans have been recipients of a guaranteed income program, and the number continues to grow.

This movement has been national for years.

https://www.osvnews.com/notre-dame-reports-success-of-guaranteed-basic-income-program-will-it-go-national/

Minimum wages need to be increased and guaranteed basic income needs to expand to address the affordability issues impacting our communities. 5/

Amid Federal Cuts, Momentum for Direct Cash Is Growing for Good Reason In Washington state, we've seen the positive impacts of providing cash support.

"As we enter the Trump admin’s second year, state and local governments must take the reins to protect people’s well-being. Direct cash can help boost local economies and ensure families can better survive financial crises."
https://inequality.org/article/momentum-for-direct-cash-is-growing/

Shoutout to MGI member mayor @ravibhalla.bsky.social who in one of his final acts in office, took a bold step to support Hoboken families in need!

This sets a powerful precedent for New Jersey, look forward to working with as you move on to the NJ State Assembly.

Bhalla signs executive order to form Hoboken Guaranteed Basic Income Task Force - Hudson County View Outgoing Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla has signed an executive order to form a Guaranteed Basic Income Task Force, which establishes a pilot.

“This executive order marks an important step toward a fairer Hoboken. Guaranteed basic income programs across the country have shown the power of direct, unconditional cash assistance to help families meet their needs while reducing economic stress" - Hoboken mayor @ravibhalla.bsky.social

For homeless teen, a guaranteed income is a step towards stability Craig Raspberry is one of 15 participants in a guaranteed income pilot for homeless young adults called BAY-CASH.

This homeless teen has come a long way from where he was as he stands in his very own apartment. A guaranteed income program helped him gain a foothold and get out of shelters: https://bit.ly/4j9jmQz