Mayors for a Guaranteed Income

Welcome to Counties for a Guaranteed Income, Council Member Jenn Kagiwada!

Your leadership in Hawaiʻi County adds to our growing national movement for guaranteed income programs that make a real difference in the lives of local families.

Assemblywoman Katie Brennan of NJ District 32 smiles in front of a red background with a quote above. The quote supports a guaranteed income pilot program for Hudson County youth experiencing homelessness, emphasizing stability and planning for the future. The logo for "Legislators for a Guaranteed Income" is at the bottom.

Welcome to Legislators for a Guaranteed Income, Assemblywoman Katie Brennan!

Thank you co-sponsoring the Youth Homelessness Guaranteed Income Pilot Program Act, and for your advocacy for economic stability for NJ families.

Trump admin hits back at ex-California mayor's call for federal guaranteed income as cities hand out cash Michael D. Tubbs, founder of Mayors for a Guaranteed Income, advocated for federal cash assistance while Trump administration opposes such initiatives as unnecessary handouts.

"The Trump administration punched back at the founder of the Mayors for a Guaranteed Income organization, saying that Democratic mayors should prioritize other issues within their cities instead of issuing handouts."

Basic income isn't a handout, and the GBI pilots often show increased employment.

Everything about UBI/GBI/GI is positive: employment rate higher; wages higher; reduced tax expenditures overall, especially in healthcare spending, homeless shelters, emergency food demands; even public safety. It’s a proven, documented win-win-win.

Mayors for a Guaranteed Income push to solve affordability crisis with no-strings attached cash assistance Guaranteed income advocate Michael D. Tubbs told Fox News Digital that working-class Americans need cash assistance amid the current affordability crisis.

"We know that people are looking for solutions to put money in their pockets. We know people want to be able to afford rent and childcare and food in the U.S."

MGI Founder Michael Tubbs brings the conversation on GI all the way to Fox News. This movement is growing too large to be ignored.

It’s Late and I’m Still Up Survival Math

"It’s late. I should be asleep.

But I’m thinking about gas, groceries, the next order, the next day. This is the part that doesn’t make headlines.

The quiet exhaustion. The math of survival."

Beautiful poetry from former GI recipient Zaaear Pack is a must read.
substack.com/@zaaearpack/...

✅ Improved employment
✅ Less stress and anxiety
✅ Reduced fluctuations in month-to-month earnings

MGI Founder Michael Tubbs on Code for America's Government Fix Podcast explains how guaranteed income became a policy "no brainer".

Art for GI 🎨 : Recipients from Boulder, CO's guaranteed income pilot program share their stories through a new exhibit, showing how just a little bit of cash brought a lot of stability.

Counties on the Frontlines As the affordability crisis squeezes Americans, counties need more federal funding, not less.

As the federal government cuts the social safety net, counties pick up the pieces.

As more families are unable to afford their lives, more county leaders are creating direct cash programs to meet their needs.

Read more: https://guaranteedincomeworks.substack.com/p/counties-on-the-frontlines

As much flack as guaranteed basic income gets, it’s been proven to be a constructive means to help the homeless get off the streets. Studies from trial experiments repeatedly show that a very high percentage of those who receive the service end up getting jobs, and a home where they stay housed.

Leaders on Gov. Pritzker’s proposed budget: Illinois is thriving, but Black communities are still struggling • The TRiiBE Gov. JB Pritzker celebrated Illinois’ economic gains in his budget address, but Black leaders say billions in spending must more directly address long-standing inequities.

Black organizers want to see Gov. JB Pritzker prioritize Illinois Future Fund, a cash-assistance program that — if passed — would make Illinois the nation’s first statewide guaranteed income program.

thetriibe.com/2026/02/lead...

Boulder art exhibit spotlights impact of guaranteed income pilot Boulder’s “Elevate Boulder” exhibit showcases how a two-year guaranteed income program changed lives, reduced stress and boosted the local economy.

"Data show over and over again that when one provides people with basic income or guaranteed income, they spend it on food, rent, child care, medical bills and car payments… Participants shared that this was breathing space — immediately, so much less stress.”

FFS, can we please just start UBI now?

✨ Bottom Line: Guaranteed income isn’t a work disincentive — it functions as real employment infrastructure, giving people the financial stability to seek better work, invest in skills, and participate more fully in the labor market.

📈 Cash increases financial resilience and agency
In Los Angeles’s BIG:LEAP, participants who could cover a $400 emergency doubled after a year of GI. In Stockton, GI participants experienced significantly less income volatility, helping enable consistent employment and better long-term planning.

💼 GI is employment infrastructure
Rather than discouraging work, direct cash gives people the stability and flexibility to:

📊 Guaranteed income increases employment and job quality
Across California’s largest pilots — including Stockton, Los Angeles (BIG:LEAP), and Oakland, GI Program participants obtained full-time jobs at up to double the rate of control groups — and pursued higher-quality jobs at 3x the rate.

Guaranteed Income and Employment in California - Economic Security Project Guaranteed Income and the Affordability Crisis Guaranteed income (GI) provides regular, unconditional cash payments to individuals and families, offering them more resources and agency to make decisio...

💡 A fresh brief from @economicsecurityproject.org shows what the evidence is actually telling us about guaranteed income (GI) and work — and it debunks common myths with real data from California’s pilots:

economicsecurityproject.org/resource/gua...

"I'm trying to really uplift the positive aspects of rural to help demonstrate that infusing guaranteed basic income cash payments to our neighbors would enrich our community..."

- Kandace Creel Falcon northern Minnesotan and recipient of Springboard's GI for Artists program

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.