DES MOINES, Iowa — Free money usually sounds too good to be true, but some central Iowans will find themselves with a little more in their wallets in the near future.
$500 a month, for two years, no questions asked. It's called a basic income, and 110 Iowans will be receiving it in the near future.
"Basic income can really be a way to help people meet their basic needs, and so that they can start thriving instead of just focusing on survival," said Ashley Ezzio, project coordinator with The Harkin Institute, which is assisting with the project.
The pilot program, called UpLift, kicked off on Wednesday afternoon with a ceremony at The Harkin Institute. UpLift will be recruiting participants from Polk, Warren, and Dallas County that have a household income below 60% of the area's median income.
They must also have at least one dependent. Organizers hope the project can identify long-term ways to end poverty, not temporary solutions.
"While they may address the need in the moment of crisis, they do not address the consistent experience of poverty. We ask ourselves, what happens if we can imagine more?" said Dr. Nalo Johnson, President & CEO of the Mid-Iowa Health Foundation.
UpLift is the first basic income pilot that the state of Iowa has ever seen, but it's not the first one like it in the country. Researchers are modeling their project off of similar ones in several other major American cities.
One such program out of Stockton, California found that full-time employment actually rose among participants receiving the monthly $500 payments. Resarchers explained that being able to use that money for something as simple as a car repair can have a big impact.
"That improves how they show up at work, which then improves their chances of a promotion, perhaps more hours, a pay raise. It has this kind of domino effect. If folks have those basic needs met, it all starts to fall into place," Ezzio said.
If you are interested in participating in UpLift, recruitment for the project opens on Friday and will only be available until Monday, Feb. 27.