A Chicago alderman is pressing ahead this week with his plan for a guaranteed basic income program in the city.
Northwest Side Ald. Gilbert Villegas, 36th, wants to use $30 million in federal pandemic recovery money to pay up to 5,000 Chicagoans $500 per month for a year.
To qualify, applicants would need to have annual income of 300% or less of the federal poverty level, which Villegas said works out to $38,640 for a single person and $52,260 for two people.
They also would need to be enrolled in City Colleges of Chicago themselves, or have a dependent who is enrolled in City Colleges or a Chicago public school, or is too young to be in elementary school.
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Villegas will introduce his proposal to the City Council on Wednesday. It remains to be seen whether it can gain traction.
Aldermen held a hearing on his proposal last month, and council Black Caucus Chairman Ald. Jason Ervin said it would be a “slap in the face” to proceed with basic income before the city sets up a reparations program for descendants of enslaved people.
Villegas countered that many of those qualifying for his program would be Black, and said it’s time to move forward to help Chicagoans who are struggling during the pandemic.
And Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration has been noncommittal. A spokeswoman last month said the mayor would “continue to work with city stakeholders to explore these and other meaningful solutions that will help residents impacted by poverty and unlock the full potential of all of our Chicago communities.”
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