Director of Stockton (CA) UBI program will appear during Community and Economic Development Committee meeting

This week’s meeting of the Community and Economic Development Committee (Wednesday, March 31) will feature the Executive Director of the Stockton (CA) Economic Empowerment Demonstration (SEED) program — the country’s first guaranteed income initiative.

The pilot program gave eligible low-income and working-class Stockton residents an unconditional $500-a-month payment for 18 months, which – according to preliminary reports – was used by a majority of participants on necessities. Alderwoman Chantia Lewis has sponsored legislation to implement a similar pilot Universal Basic Income program in Milwaukee, as she has noted that the city suffers from many of the same racial and economic disparities that Stockton aimed to overcome through its program.

“Universal Basic Income could significantly improve the lives of Milwaukee residents who live at or below the poverty line, and including those who are working multiple jobs but struggling to stay afloat,” Alderwoman Lewis said. “We must continue to be innovative and creative when it comes to how we can best support our residents and bolster our city as a whole.”

The Stockton official in charge of its Universal Basic Income (UBI) program will appear at Wednesday’s committee meeting to discuss his program and answer questions. Alderwoman Lewis said the community is encouraged to learn more about UBI programs and how they can assist and support struggling individuals and families.

The Community and Economic Development Committee meeting will begin at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday and will be televised live on the City Channel (channel 25 on Spectrum Cable and channel 99 on AT&T U-Verse in the City of Milwaukee) and via streaming video on the city website at city.milwaukee.gov/Channel25.