Blue cities across the country have been hopping on the trend of guaranteed income programs. The spike in popularity really ramped up after the COVID-19 pandemic, when everyone got two free checks from the United States government. Since then, cities like Chicago, New York, San Francisco and others have been implementing ways to give free money to low-income households.
The City of Houston here in Harris County is now no exception to that trend, as they will begin taking applications for their new program on January 8th. The program would provide low-income households with a monthly check totaling $500 for 18 months. The $20 million program will be paid for by COVID relief money.
Charles Blain of Urban Reform says these programs may look good in the short term, but it is detrimental to the taxpayer in the long term.
"We do not even know how this will be funded once that relief runs out...this is one-time federal relief aid. Once this program runs out of relief aid, where will it come from? Likely local property tax dollars," he says.
Yes, those same property taxes that were just relieved by the Texas Legislature. So, not only re you paying for it, but it nullifies any relief you would have gotten.
These trendy programs are mostly done for political optics, to make a candidate look good. But cost of living has risen to places we have never seen before, and that plays a role.
"It distracts people from the real problem...they are doing this to try and offset the cost-of-living increases. But the reason it is going up here in Harris County is because of what governments doing," he says. "All these new office buildings, departments...all of this has increased cost to taxpayers."
The program would benefit around 1,900 families in ten targeted high-poverty zip codes. Families could even be seeing checks as early as March. There is somewhat of a bar, with qualified households needing to be living below 200-percent of the poverty line.
Now, Judge Lina Hidalgo is facing indictments, she has taken leaves for depression, so it is not unreasonable to think that by summer, she may not be the county judge. But would her progressive ideologies leaving change this? Or is it already engrained in the Commissioner's Court?
"I think we are in this for a while...no matter what happens to one individual...there is a Democratic super majority...so, I think we will keep seeing these kinds of policies," he says. "This one was pushed by Commissioner Rodney Ellis...even if Judge Hidalgo leaves, we will continue seeing these across Harris County."
As with anything like this as well, it opens up Pandora's Box.
"The sky is the limit...there are other cities across this country who do this guaranteed income solely for artists, or young, unwed mothers," he says. "I can see other programs being implemented across Harris County that are coming out of places like Chicago and San Francisco."
Researchers have found 14% of Houstonians live below the federal poverty threshold, with another 31% who are above that threshold but cannot make ends meet.