Sunnyvale is prepared to launch a guaranteed basic income program — it’s just waiting for funding.
The Sunnyvale City Council approved the pilot program unanimously last week, with Councilmember Alysa Cisneros absent, and instructed city employees to look for external funding. The pilot could run for up to two years and provide at least 100 households with about $1,000 per month. While councilmembers approved the program’s details at the meeting, some officials and residents are skeptical about finding a third-party partner to help fund the estimated $4 million cost.
Councilmember Omar Din first suggested the program two years ago and said it would benefit the city’s most vulnerable residents. He said a guaranteed basic income program bypasses some problems with other forms of government assistance — for example, monitoring or limiting how recipients spend their money, which can create hurdles…