Entrepreneur Andrew Yang is continuing his push to see all Americans receive universal basic income, starting with modeling his idea with a New York community group.
According to the New York Daily News, Yang’s non-profit, Humanity Forward, along with local community organization Spark of Hudson, will be giving 20 upstate New Yorkers $500 every month over the next five years, a nod to the plan that was the centerpiece of the former Democratic presidential hopeful’s campaign.
The 20 recipients, which will be low-income residents from Hudson, have yet to be identified. Spark of Hudson, together with community organizers, will be selecting those who will benefit from the plan, while Humanity Forward will be seeing how the individuals spend the extra income and study the results.
“You’re going too see that people become mentally healthier, more optimistic, more secure in their future. Millions of Americans experienced this with the [$1,200 coronavirus] stimulus check,” Yang told the Daily News.
“This is what our government should be doing, not just for 20 people but for everyone,” he added.
This project, the Daily News notes, will be the first long-term investment that Yang’s 501(c)(4) nonprofit has made on a universal income initiative.
While running for president, Yang pushed the idea that every American adult should get $1,000 a month in universal basic income from the federal government.
Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story indicated that Humanity Forward was Yang’s Super PAC. Humanity Forward is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit.