April 5th 2024.
Houston made a big move on March 22nd by selecting 1,928 families for a guaranteed basic income program, which aims to alleviate poverty. These families were notified that they would receive an initial payment of $500, with the possibility of more to come in the future. The city's leaders, such as Judge Lina Hidalgo and Commissioner Rodney Ellis, hope that this program will help address income inequality in 10 high-poverty zip codes.
As reported by News 2 Houston, there were a total of 82,500 applications for the program, but only 1,928 families were selected after a thorough screening process conducted by Brandon Maddox, the director of the Office of Planning and Innovation at Harris County Public Health. Maddox explained that the initial pool of applicants was narrowed down to 6,000, then again to 1,928, and finally verified for eligibility.
Maddox also mentioned that there were two phases in the selection process. The first phase randomly selected around 6,000 applicants, and then the second phase chose the final 1,928 recipients from that pool. He referred to these final 1,928 as the "lucky 6,000," as they had a one in three chance of being selected for the program.
Unfortunately, due to the program being funded by the American Rescue Plan, undocumented immigrants were not eligible to apply. This has been a point of concern for Hidalgo and Cesar Espinosa, the Executive Director of FIEL Houston, who hope to see this change in the future. In an interview with KPRC, Espinosa expressed disappointment that undocumented individuals living in mixed-status households were unable to apply due to lack of outreach.
This program, known as Uplift Harris, is the fifth-largest guaranteed basic income program in the United States. However, it has faced criticism from Republican Senator Paul Bettencourt, who referred to it as "wide-open, no-strings-attached lottery socialism" in an interview with the Wall Street Journal. But, as reported by the Houston Chronicle, Harris County-based attorney Christian Menefee argued that Bettencourt's objections on the basis of unconstitutionality were unfounded.
A similar program was launched in Austin in 2022, and the Urban Institute conducted a study six months into its launch. The results showed that recipients were more stable in their housing situations and less worried about being evicted. One recipient, who wished to remain anonymous, shared that the cash they received was incredibly helpful in providing for their family's daily needs, such as food and rent.
Commissioner Ellis also responded to Bettencourt's criticism, stating that it was not surprising for him to enlist the help of Attorney General Paxton in opposing the program. Ellis believes that state leaders would rather maintain the current system of inequality than work towards a better, more prosperous society for all.
Judge Hidalgo also defended the program, pointing to the success of guaranteed basic income programs in reducing poverty in other communities around the world. She stated that they will continue to advocate for and defend the program, as the people of Harris County deserve access to it.
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