Santa Clara County Launches Basic Income Program for Foster Youth

ByLAURENCEDUSAUL T| BayAr eaNe wsGr oup PUBLI SHED:Jul y27 ,2020at3: 1 6p. m.| UPDATED:Jul y28,2020at3: 53a. m

Sant aCl ar aCount yl aunchesbasi ci ncomeprogr am f orf ost er yout h Youngadul t sagi ngoutoft hechi l dwel f aresyst em sett o recei ve$1 000amont h Doz ensofyoungadul t saboutt oageoutofSant aCl ar aCount y’ sf os t ercar es ys t em wer egi v en $1 , 000cas hpayment sonMondayaspar toft hecount y’ sne wbas i ci ncomepr ogr am — t hefir s t ofi t ski ndi nt henat i on. “ We ’ r es ayi ng‘ dowhat ev eryouneedt odot obewhol eandheal t hy’ , ”s ai dDi s t r i ct3Super v i s or Dav eCor t es e,whol aunchedt hei ni t i at i v e.

Sant aCl ar aCount y’ spr ogr am i st hefir s ti nt hecount r yt odi s t r i but eabas i ci ncomet oyoung adul t s ,aged21t o24,whoar eex i t i ngt hef os t ercar es ys t em.Budget edat$900, 000,t he year l ongpi l otpr ogr am wi l l gi v e$1 , 000mont hl ypayment st ot he7 2youngadul t swhoar e t r ans i t i oni ngoutofi t schi l dwel f ar es ys t em andwi l l hav et os ecur ehous i ngandaj obont hei r own. “ Y out hi nf os t ercar edon’ thav et hes uppor tanybodywoul dneedt ol eav et hei rpar ent s ’hous e, ” s ai df or mercount yf os t eryout hNayel i Gr anoatapr es sconf er enceMonday.“ Y ett hes ameday yout ur n1 8,youneedapl anr eadyi fyoudon’ twantt obehomel es s . ”Gr ano,23,won’ tbepar t oft hepr ogr am.

Cal i f or ni ahas83, 000f os t erchi l dr enandyout hundert hecar eofi t schi l dwel f ar es ys t em.About hal fgr aduat ehi ghs chool ,40per centex per i encehomel es s nes swi t hi n1 8mont hsofl eav i ngt he s ys t em,and40per centar eunempl oyedbyage24,accor di ngt ot heCal i f or ni aCour t Appoi nt edSpeci al Adv ocat eAs s oci at i on. “ Whent her e ’ snoonet ot ur nt of orhel p,t heUBIwi l l hel pourf or merf os t eryout hr emai nhous ed andf edt odays ot hatt heycans ucceedt omor r ow, ”s ai dChi l dAdv ocat esofSi l i conVal l eyCEO Fr eder i ckJ .Fer r eri nas t at ement .“ Weknowfir s t handhowhar dt heywor kt oov er comet he i ncr edi bl eempl oymentandhous i ngchal l engesSi l i conVal l eypr es ent s . ” Thei ni t i at i v ewasf as t f or war dedbyt hecor onav i r uspandemi c ,whi chmadei tev enmor e ar duousf oryoungadul t st os ecur ehous i ngandempl oyment .“ Thel as tt hi ngyouwanti s7 2 youngadul t swander i ngar oundf r om pl acet opl acewhent heys houl dbes ecur el ys hel t er ed, ” s ai dCor t es e.

TheCOVI D1 9pandemi ci sr ei gni t i ngt al k saboutuni v er s al bas i ci ncome.Jus tl as tmont h, St ockt onMayorMi chael T ubbsl aunchedMayor sf orGuar ant eedI ncome,ani ni t i at i v ebr i ngi ng t oget hermayor sf r om ar oundt hecount r yi nadv ocat i ngf orf eder al andl ocal cas hpayment pol i ci es .Att hes t at el ev el ,Democr at i cas s embl ymemberEv anL owi nt r oducedapr opos al i n Febr uar yt ogi v e$1 , 000amont ht oev er yCal i f or ni an.

I nSant aCl ar a,t hei deawasbr oughtt oCor t es ebyGi s el eHu ,pr es i dentoft heGer al dHu Fundf orHumani t y,anonpr ofitf undi ngbas i ci ncomepr oj ect sacr os st hecount r y.“ T r ans i t i oni ng f os t eryout har eof t enl etl oos ei nt hewor l dwi t houthel patal l , ”s ai dHu .“ They’ r eoneoft he manymar gi nal i z edpopul at i onst hatwoul dbenefitf r om UBI . ” Mos toft hes er v i cesf os t erchi l dr enr ecei v ewhi l ei ngov er nmentcar eendwhent heyt ur n21 .

Cal i f or ni aSen.Ji m Beal l i spus hi ngt oex t endcar et hr oughage25f ort hos ewhoex i tt hes ys t em dur i ngas t at eofemer gency,butf ornow,t hos eov er21ar enol ongerdependent soft hecount y andhav et omak ei tont hei rown.

Cor t es es ayst hes er v i ceso er edbygov er nment s ,nonpr ofit s ,andpr i v at epr ogr amsar en’ t doi ngenough.Hehopesgi v i ngoutmoneywi t hnos t r i ngsat t achedwi l l empoweryoungadul t s ands howt hecount y’ st r us tandi nv es t menti nt hei rf ut ur e.Thepr ogr am al s oo er sfinanci al coachi ngt ot her eci pi ent s .

Thehopei st hatt heoneyearpi l otpr ogr am wi l l ber epl i cat edel s e wher ei nt hecount r y.Cor t es e i ss t i l l l ooki ngf orapubl i cpr i v at epar t ner s hi pt hatwoul dal l owhi mt oex pandt hepi l otpr ogr am f orf ut ur eyear sandbeyondf os t eryout h.“ Thi si sabus i nes smodel aswel l asahumani t ar i an e or t , ”s ai dCor t es e.

Thi sar t i cl ei spar tofTheCal i f or ni aDi v i de,acol l abor at i onamongne ws r oomsex ami ni ngi ncome i nequi t yandeconomi cs ur v i v al i nCal i f or ni a.