The city’s council voted unanimously in favor of the project. In Palm Springs, 20 transgender and non-binary residents will soon receive a universal basic income estimated at between 600 and 900 euros per month for two years. This decision comes within the framework of a pilot program for which the Californian city has paid 200,000 dollars, reports the Los Angeles Times.
“In the city of Palm Springs, we are proud to be a beacon of hope for the rest of the nation. We have worked hard to build an inclusive community,” City Council member Christy Holstege said on Twitter.
This decision comes in a city whose mayor, Lise Middleton, is herself a transgender person. “I’m very concerned about the ability of these income programs to adapt to the scale of the problems facing us,” she said. At issue: the transgender and non-binary community is particularly vulnerable to unemployment, homelessness, discrimination and assault.
During a meeting organized with the city, Jacob Rostovskythe chief executive of Queer Works, believes that this initiative is a great help for those concerned: “It can be seen as a grant to close the income gap that the transgender and non-binary community faces due to among the highest levels of unemployment in the country.