Cook County in Illinois establishes permanent guaranteed income program
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The second-largest county in the United States has implemented a permanent guaranteed basic income program after the success of a previous pilot.
The Cook County Board of Commissioners last week unanimously approved $7.5 million for a permanent guaranteed basic income program. Chicago, the largest city in the Midwest and the third largest in the nation, is the seat of Cook County.
Cook County made headlines for establishing the Guaranteed Basic Income program after many local governments across the country launched pilot versions.
The Cook County Board of Commissioners last week approved $7.5 million for a permanent guaranteed basic income program. (Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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Guaranteed basic income programs have become a trend in the United States in recent years, with more than 100 pilots launched since 2018. Mayors for a Guaranteed Income has grown into a coalition of 150 mayors promoting pilot programs, offering low-income participants up to $1,000 per month with no strings attached. The group pushed pilot programs that were adopted by municipalities across the country.
Cook County’s program launched in 2022 with help from federal COVID-19 relief funds.
Once the nation’s largest publicly funded program, receiving $42 million in federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act, Cook County’s Guaranteed Income pilot program provided $500 monthly payments to 3,250 households for two years, with no strings attached.
Illinois Economic Security Director Sarah Saheb described Cook County’s Guaranteed Basic Income pilot as a “historic success” and said that when the federal government “steps back from its responsibilities to working families, Cook County is leading the way to ensure people can afford basic necessities.”
Commissioners told Fox News Digital that the decision to extend the program permanently was based on the results of an investigation into the county’s pilot program.
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Guaranteed basic income programs have become a trend in the United States in recent years with more than 100 GBI pilot projects launched since 2018. (iStock)
Findings released by the commission in April showed that three-quarters of participants reported feeling more financially secure and that 94% of participants used the funds to deal with financial emergencies during difficult times. The majority also said the program improved their mental health and reduced their stress levels.
The commission learned from the investigation that participants primarily used the funds to meet basic needs such as food, rent, utilities and transportation.
The Illinois Policy Institute (IPI), a think tank that tracks public policy decisions in the state, told Fox News Digital that “Cook County is making its guaranteed income pilot permanent and committing millions of dollars to a previously failed strategy that leaves people with less work experience and lower incomes.”
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“This should alarm anyone who wants real, long-term progress for low-income residents. A recent pilot program in northern Illinois, including Cook County, decreased labor force participation and individual earnings (before transfers),” said Josh Bandoch, IPI policy manager.
Democrats in the Illinois Legislature are trying to promote an “Illinois Guaranteed Income Fund” through the Department of Human Services. (iStock)
In response to the IPI, the commission told Fox News Digital that “outcomes and impacts vary widely depending on program design: amount of money, frequency/duration of payments, eligibility criteria (based on income, location, etc.), and local cost of living.”
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“Cook County is working closely with the University of Chicago’s Inclusive Economy Lab to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the Promise pilot. We will then thoughtfully design our next program, considering both short- and long-term outcomes,” the commission said.
