Birmingham OKs Guaranteed Income For Single Mothers

BIRMINGHAM, AL — The Birmingham City Council Tuesday approved a new pilot initiative to provide guaranteed income monthly payments to 110 single mothers who reside in the city.

Thanks to a $500,000 grant from Mayors for a Guaranteed Income, a network of mayors across the country advocating for an income floor. Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin took the pledge to join the effort, and secured a $500,000 grant to fund the “Embrace Mothers” program. Woodfin is the 63rd mayor across the nation to make the pledge, and the first in Alabama.

The program will provide $375 a month for 12 months to 110 female-identifying Birmingham residents. To qualify, applicants must live in Birmingham, and care for at least one child under the age of 18. According to a city news release, 60% of Birmingham households with children are headed by a single mother. 25.9% of city residents live in poverty, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The money is a monthly, no-strings-attached, cash payment given directly to individuals. There is no work requirement. The idea, which has inspired similar initiatives in Newark, Los Angeles, Denver, and more, is that everyone should have enough money to meet their basic needs.

“Economic insecurity isn’t a new challenge or a partisan issue,” Mayors for a Guaranteed Income says on its website, next to the slogan “All Americans deserve an income floor.”

“Wealth and income inequality, which have long plagued our country, continue to grow. Rooted in Dr. King’s legacy, mayors across the country are coming together to advocate for a guaranteed income—direct, recurring cash payments—that lifts all of our communities, building a resilient, just America. Everyone deserves an income floor through a guaranteed income.”

“I want to thank the council for working alongside me to see the Embrace Mothers pilot program become a reality,” Mayor Woodfin said in a statement. “This is an opportunity to further our commitment to innovative solutions designed to improve the economic standing for our residents. Women and mothers specifically are the nucleus of our families and communities. By putting financial [resources] into homes, we not only improve the outcomes for women but for children and the greater community at large. I am proud that Birmingham is the first city in Alabama to take this approach in partnership with MGI.”

The city has hired a consulting group to evaluate the impact of the initiative, the city said. The City Council also voted to provide up to $40,000 to the Penny Foundation, a local nonprofit aimed at supporting Black-owned businesses, to administer the program. The East Lake Initiative, a local community development nonprofit, will receive up to $10,000 from the city to provide one-on-one onboarding and benefits counseling for recipients in the pilot program.