A New York state grant already in the city’s possession would provide a $300 debit card to a select number of low-income households to help them pay their bills or build savings each month.
Director of Planning and Development Alexandra Church says the idea has been in the works for at least a couple years. She presented the pilot at a recent work session of the Common Council.
“What we decided was to focus on those who are extremely low income in our community. That ranges from $24,000 a year for a family of one, to $34,000 for a family of four," she explained. "And in overall numbers, that’s about 6,000 people that would be eligible, which comes out to about 36 percent of our population.”
A recent poll by SUNY New Paltz and the Siena College Research Institute found 78 percent of families in Orange, Dutchess, Ulster and Sullivan Counties are struggling financially. Roughly six in 10 households are living paycheck-to-paycheck.
Cities across the U.S., including nearby Hudson, New York, have been piloting “guaranteed basic income” or “universal basic income” programs for years. Proponents say they can help combat income inequality and empower participants to build financial freedom and security. Stanford University’s “Guaranteed Income Pilots Dashboard,” which tracks data from 30+ pilots nationwide, finds most pilot funds are being spent on retail sales and services, followed by groceries. Still, GBI has its skeptics about whether it really improves indicators like children’s health outcomes or school performance.
Church says it’s hard to predict the results of GBI in one city by looking at programs in others, as these pilots often have individual goals that are specific to their communities. Newburgh, for example, will be studying whether GBI can keep residents in the city and off the streets.
“We’re trying to keep people here," said Church. "So that’s the threshold that we will be studying: what makes it so that people are able to stay in their community?”
Church says the pilot would only apply to 110 households to start. Participants would be chosen at random from a pool of qualified applicants. Depending on how the pilot performs and whether the city can secure more funds, Church says it’s possible that it could be extended or expanded in the future.
Members of the Common Council, like Ward 1 Councilmember Giselle Martinez, spoke highly of the idea and seemed eager to get it started.
“Honestly, it’ 2025. Nobody should be worrying about whether they’re going to have a roof over their head or food on their table," said Martinez.
Councilmember-at-Large Omari Shakur expressed concern that the funds could be used against participants to make them ineligible for other income-based social services, like food stamps, SSI or Section 8 vouchers. Church assured that that won’t happen.
Councilmember-at-Large Robert McLymore, meanwhile, asked whether participants will be restricted in how they spend the money. Church says no – and that’s the point.
“To say this quite bluntly, there will be one percent of the people in any of these studies that use it for things that are not positive in their lives. But 99 percent of them will not," said Church. "So, is it worth it for that 99 percent that use it for food and housing, to fix their car, and things that are beneficial for their lives?”
For now, she says the city still needs to put out a request for proposals to select a nonprofit and research partners to administer the program. It’s possible the pilot could begin onboarding as soon as this winter, with payments starting in spring 2026, Church says.
