MSN.com
Cook County, which includes Chicago, ran a two-year basic income experiment in 2022.
During the pilot, thousands of residents received $500 a month to spend however they wanted.
The county has now made that basic income program permanent in its 2026 budget.
Many American cities and counties have been experimenting with a novel concept: Giving financially vulnerable residents free money every month without expecting anything in return.
The goal is to let those people decide for themselves how best to spend the extra cash, rather than requiring them to spend it on certain kinds of food or other necessities.
When those programs end, many report largely positive results. Few, however, are ever made permanent.
Cook County in Illinois, which includes Chicago, is now an exception.
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