Capitol Hill Blue Forums Political Issues Finance, the economy & Economics Universal Basic Income? Guaranteed Job?

Interesting because Switzerland is a really expensive place to live. Can't imagine 2,500 would be even "basic".

There are non-cash-based programs that the US government administers or supports that should also be part of the UBI discussion. For example, the USDA has a number of food distribution programs that provide in-kind support to institutions providing meals to children, the elderly and the poor. HUD programs house 1.2 million households and a number of municipalities have their own housing authorities. My son was, for some time, a recipient of subsidized housing.

Recipients of UBI should, I think, be entitled to trade some of the cash assistance that UBI represents for these supports.

The non cash benefits do have a monetary value- food stamps for example are a value but you don't actually get cash. There is public housing but the waiting lists can be decades long.
I personally think that it should be cash and you have to be responsible and use it wisely. The whole paternalistic thing seems hokey to me.
There are food pantries and other options but the lines are always longer than the supply.
Affordable housing could be a good start. Food distribution centers where the prices are regulated - free healthcare and education would be another big plus.
There's plenty that could be done and we have the money to do it. Just have to allocate tax dollars toward people and not bombs.

Imagine if there were government stores where people could buy their supplies for cost. Oh wait, the military has them, they're called "Commissaries". If that were available for the general public... could have a significant impact on the poor. Not trying to compete with Safeway or Kroger, just making a point. Even if the products were pretty limited (paper products, diapers, basic food staples), it would have a BIG impact.

I'm also a big believer in Section 8 housing. My son lived in subsidized housing for several years, and his apartment was no different than the other residents', so there is no stigma. Housing Choice Vouchers Provide Essential Assistance in Every State. "Almost 90 percent of the 2.2 million households using vouchers are elderly, disabled, or families with children." The problem is the lack of available housing (and HUD budget limitations). Housing vouchers don't pay the rent. Another serious problem (which my son avoided) are unscrupulous landlords. Affordable-housing dreams become Section 8 nightmares. Wait, wasn't Donald Trump one of those?

Yeah. We had the vouchers here in NYC and a lot of landlords refused to accept them. I think they had to scrap the whole program.
A contradiction between private property and social benefits. Crops up a lot, unfortunately.

There is a significant difference, I think, between urban and non-urban needs that should be addressed in any policy proposal.

Yes, and lest we forget, the U.S. population is 80.7% concentrated in urban areas so that is the larger problem. Both obviously need to be addressed.

We THROW AWAY so much food in this country, not spoiled food, just SURPLUS food, that we could run the food assistance program and STILL be searching for ways to do something with the surplus food we throw away because there would still be so much of it left over.

That's a very good point.

Of course building a system to distribute all that food would be a logistic nightmare. A lot of wasted food is perishable or VERY perishable.

Better to take it to neighborhood feeding centers, prepare it, and give it away to anybody who walks in the door. Minimize waste and minimize transport. Very little administration required because you just give it to anybody, no cards, no paperwork, no ID. Just folks to move it and cook it. I bet people would do that for some cash on top of their UBI.

Another advantage of such community feeding is that low income housing would not require kitchens.