We wanted to follow up on our last post about Guaranteed Income with something exciting, so this week we’re sharing something special. We were lucky enough to have one of our bloggers talk with Sumbul Siddiqui, the Mayor of Cambridge, Massachusetts, as well as City Councilman Quinton Zondervan.
Together we discussed the start of the Recurring Income for Success and Empowerment (RISE) program, which began earlier last week. Starting last Tuesday 130 families will receive $500 a month, no strings attached. Mayor Siddiqui and Councilmember Zondervan spoke with us about the pilot and their ambitions for its future, as well as its effect on the labor market. Was this a tool used to fight poverty or a means of preserving a standard of living?
While the RISE program has only started this month, it is an exciting new development within the Guaranteed Income sphere. Policymakers will watch the results closely in hopes of understanding the effect a guaranteed income can have across the economy. If you want to learn more about the RISE program click the link below to track its progress.
Cambridge RISE website: https://www.cambridgerise.org/
We hope you enjoy our discussion with Mayor Siddiqui and Councilman Zondervan just as much as we did! Our discussion can be found below. Check back next week as we continue to analyze our progress towards the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.