MEDIA ADVISORY:
Press Conference to Announce
Mayors for Guaranteed Income Program
100 Santa Fe Community College Students
with Young Families Eligible to Receive
Up To $500 Monthly
MGI Underwritten by Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey,
Local Fundraising to Follow
4 p.m. Tuesday, June 15 at SFCC
JUNE 11, 2021 – Mayor Alan Webber and Santa Fe Community College President Becky Rowley will announce the Mayors for a Guaranteed Income (MGI) pilot program that will benefit up to 100 college students under age 30 who are parents. The students will receive up to $500 in direct aid monthly, in support of their ability to attend college. Sponsoring partners and beneficiaries of the program will also be present to speak and answer questions.
Videotape of the event will be made available.
Press Event: Announcement of MGI pilot program at SFCC
Where: SFCC Main Campus Courtyard
When: 4 p.m., June 15, 2021
Availability: Media will have the opportunity to ask questions of the speakers:
- Mayor Webber;
- President Rowley;
- Julie J. Sanchez, Youth and Family Services Division Director;
- Rachel Kutcher, Santa Fe Community Foundation;
- Participant in the Expanding Opportunity for Young Families Project
Please RSVP: Santa Fe Communications Director Dave Herndon (daherndon@santafenm.gov; 505-670-0719); SFCC Director of Public Relations Todd Lovato (todd.lovato@sfcc.edu; 505-480-3865).
MGI Program Description: The City of Santa Fe is joining a growing nationwide movement to allow families to achieve economic security through a basic guaranteed income.
Mayor Webber has joined a coalition of more than 25 mayors committed to piloting basic guaranteed income programs to promote economic empowerment. Having received funding through Mayors for a Guaranteed Income (MGI), Mayor Webber is supporting a pilot project to assist young families with a guaranteed monthly income. This project will target parents who are enrolled in degree or certificate programs at the Santa Fe Community College. Research has supported the success of similar projects in communities like Stockton, California.
MGI defines a guaranteed income as a monthly cash payment given directly to individuals, empowering recipients to address their most urgent needs and providing a cushion for unpredictable expenses, external shocks, and volatility. It is unconditional, and is meant to supplement, rather than replace, the existing social safety net. These programs trust families to make decisions that will best meet their individual needs, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis.
In 2019, the Federal Reserve reported that nearly 40% of American families could not afford a $400 emergency, and Hispanic and Black families reported higher rates of financial distress caused by a loss of a job or unexpected costs. The massive unemployment crisis caused by the pandemic has put these families at additional risk of economic insecurity, including increasing rates of homelessness and food insecurity.
Evidence demonstrates that regular, unconditional cash payments lead to a decrease in poverty and an improvement in the quality of life across a series of indicators. These studies, conducted nationally and internationally, show a particularly positive impact on educational attainment and rates of well-being and health. The Santa Fe pilot program will be targeting students who are at risk of not completing their studies due to financial pressures.
The City of Santa Fe MGI pilot will start with up to 100 young families with children who are taking classes to further their education at the Santa Fe Community College. These will include the families who are enrolled in a health sciences cohort with Expanding Opportunity for Young Families (EOYF), an initiative of the Santa Fe Community Foundation, as well as an additional 85 parents who are enrolled in degree or certificate programs at SFCC. Families will be selected through an application process to ensure they meet the basic requirements, followed by a random lottery.
Funding for the Program: The initial investment of $500,000 will come from the grant received by the City of Santa Fe from the Mayors for a Guaranteed Income project. This was underwritten by Twitter and Square CEO, Jack Dorsey. Additional dollars will be raised locally, with a goal of providing each family with a monthly cash payment of between $400 and $500 per month.
Assessment: The Center for Guaranteed Income Research at the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy and Practice will be evaluating the successes and challenges of the project in Santa Fe, as well as the other cities receiving MGI across the county. The MGI staff will continue to assist the City throughout the process, offering council and assistance as needed.
Participant selection: Applicants will be recruited and 85 families will be selected randomly, after an initial screening application to ensure that they meet the basic requirements of the pilot project. The participants must be a parent, experiencing financial stress, enrolled in a degree or certificate program, and aged 30 or younger at the time of application. They also must have taken at least one class at SFCC in the past. The additional 15 families will include the families who are enrolled in the health sciences cohort through Expanding Opportunity for Young Families (EOYF), and initiative of the Santa Fe Community Foundation.
Quotes from Key Partners:
Mayor Alan Webber: “We're committed to helping our young working families have better lives. It’s wrong for a mom or dad to have to choose between going getting an education and feeding their family. We’re going to give these families the support they need to come out of COVID with more security, more stability and a lot less stress. This project makes Santa Fe a leader in a national movement for real progressive change.”
Santa Fe Community College President Becky Rowley: “Santa Fe Community College is excited to participate in the Mayors for Guaranteed Income pilot. We know that lack of financial resources keeps our students from persisting in college and completing their degrees. This program will provide financial assistance that allows students to achieve their goals.”
Rachel Kutcher, Santa Fe Community Foundation Expanding Opportunity for Young Families Project Director: “Despite having higher GPAs on average than their non-parenting peers, student parents are more likely to leave college with higher debt and without completing their degrees. We know this guaranteed income will help the student parents in our health sciences cohort cover both academic and non-academic expenses like rent and child care, making on-time college completion more feasible and increasing economic security for their children.”
Kyra Ochoa, City of Santa Fe Community Health and Safety Department Director: “This is an exciting opportunity for young parents of young children in Santa Fe to pursue their education and career goals here in Santa Fe. Thanks to Mayor Webber’s leadership and championing of guaranteed income nationally, the local pilot will help us develop long term programs and policies that allow young families who are from Santa Fe to stay and raise their families here.”
Julie J. Sanchez, City of Santa Fe Youth and Family Services Division Director: “The funding could provide a bridge for young parents to successfully complete a degree or certification program and entry into a meaningful career. If the parent has a successful outcome it means a successful outcome for their children. If we want to build a resilient community we need to ensure the success of the whole family.”
