Georgia gave low-income Black women $20,000 over 2 years. A participant said the money helped her afford day care and pay bills.

Business Insider

When Shamarra Woods first started receiving basic income, she was able to buy clothes, diapers, and formula for her newborn baby. As her daughter grew into a toddler, the no-strings cash payments helped Woods pay for day care.

Woods, 31, lives in Atlanta and is a single mom. She’s also a participant in Georgia’s guaranteed basic income pilot called In Her Hands. Launched in 2022 by nonprofits The Georgia Resilience and Opportunity Fund and GiveDirectly, the program gave 650 low-income Black women monthly payments for two years to spend as they choose. Funding came from foundations and philanthropic donors.

“Single mothers — and women out there trying to make it or get themselves in a better situation — they don’t have the support they need,” Woods told Business Insider. “This income helps with that.”

To read more, go here.