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Somerville ARPA-funded guaranteed basic income pilot served 200 households; city says pilot cannot continue in current form
Summary
City ARPA staff reported the guaranteed basic income pilot distributed $750 monthly debit-card payments to 200 households through June 2025, totaling $1.8 million; staff said constraints on general fund use, staffing and legal/budget issues mean the program cannot simply continue unchanged and will return with options.
Somerville officials told the Committee on Equity, Gender, Seniors, Family and Vulnerable Populations on April 16 that a city pilot to provide guaranteed basic income (GBI) using American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds has delivered monthly cash payments to 200 households but cannot continue in the same unrestricted form without resolving legal, budgetary and staffing constraints.
Erica, who identified herself as the ARPA director for the city, said the pilot ran from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025, and enrolled 200 households. “We are serving 200 households, and they are each receiving $750 a month during this 12 month pilot,” Erica told the committee, adding…
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