Commissioner Ellis Will be Using $20 million of Arpa funds to Create a "Pilot Program' which is Really Reparations

UpLift is the first basic income pilot program most states has ever seen, but it's not the first one like it in the country. Researchers are modeling their project off of similar ones in several other major American cities.

Ellis is using $20 MILLION OF AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT dollars and in my honest opinion athis is a form of Reparations. We all know how this money will be used. That $20 million could have gone to fixing our infrastructure, helping our police who are underfunded…. But no, Rodney wants to continue to bankrupt the county under the false pretense of EQUITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE. Which we all know is nothing but a money grab.

A guaranteed income is the provision of consistent income supplements without parameters or strings attached,” said Dr. Gena L. Jerkins, executive director of the Houston Equity Fund. “The target population includes community members who are most in need. The hope of a guaranteed income is to level the opportunity field for individuals receiving the benefit.”

The program is in partnership with Mayors for a Guaranteed Income, a coalition of more than 60 mayors engaged in the advancement of a federal guaranteed income, with direct recurring cash payments to the poor and middle class, according to a May 19 press release.

A total of 110 program participants will receive $375 a month, totaling $4,500 annually. According to the release, the program will disperse the money monthly to individuals in Houston’s most underserved neighborhoods with a “goal of progressing toward a more equitable and prosperous city.”

“This pilot can be game-changing for many Houstonians and a small step toward deepening equity in this city,” said Turner, in the release. “The program is a bridge to access. It creates the ability to afford quality transportation, child care, improved housing options, healthier food for families. A guaranteed income is an effective tool with proven results that can help combat economic insecurity.”

The pilot program will target residents who have experienced homelessness, been involved with the justice system, or have health concerns or other impediments that cause them to struggle with income inequity and employment instability, the release said.

This plan has been in the works for some time now. We all know what has happened with al those ARPA funds which were supposed to help the homeless problems here…..