Austin Postpones Vote On Pilot Program To Provide Basic Income To Struggling Families

Low-income families in Austin, Texas, will have to wait a little longer to get their hands on $1,000 a month.

The Austin City Council on Thursday postponed a vote on a guaranteed-income program that would have provided the stipends to 125 families for a year, the Austin American-Statesman reports.

The vote was 10-1, with one council member absent.

The delay was called for by another council member, who said she wanted more time to understand how the program would be evaluated and how families would be allowed to spend the money.

"To have a program where you're actually going to the family and saying, 'Heck, you might know better than we do,' is not how government programs are often run," said Mayor Steve Adler, who supports the program.

A report released this week by the National Low-Income Coalition found that Austin is among the top 10 cities in the US with the fewest rental homes available for people considered very low-income.

The nonprofit UpTogether recently completed a private-funded basic-income pilot program in Austin and Georgetown, distributing $1,000 a month to 125 families.

According to a report published three months into the program, 95% of families said they planned to spend the money on immediate needs such as bills and food.

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