Compton, California, is to begin giving residents free cash for two years – with no strings attached. The program, called the Compton Pledge, will distribute a basic income of at least a few hundred dollars to 800 of its low-income residents.
“I recognized that there’s a need for additional income, especially with the pandemic resulting in record high numbers of unemployment throughout the entire country,” Compton Mayor Aja Brown said.
“This is a great opportunity to address inequalities for Black and brown people and also additional opportunities for upward mobility.”
Under the program, randomly selected families will receive the money on a recurring basis, along with tools helping to advise them on their finances.
To pay for the incomes, the program has raised over $2.5 million in private donations through the Fund for Guaranteed Income, a charity headed by the family of L.A. Times owner and billionaire bioscientist and transplant surgeon Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong.
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