Mayoral candidate Michael Blake is proposing a guaranteed income pilot program.
Image Credit: Charly Triballeau/AFP/Getty Images | Written by Jeff Coltin | Politico | April 25, 2025 | Read Full Article Here
BLAKE BUCKS: When Andrew Yang ran for New York City mayor in 2021, every candidate had their own version of a Universal Basic Income plan to match his famous idea of giving every single adult $1,000 a month.
This year, “free money” is far from a top issue — but Michael Blake, a former Assemblymember running a longshot campaign, is trying to change that with a relentless focus on the city’s “true cost of living.”
First in Playbook, he’s proposing a guaranteed income pilot program that would start by giving one payment of up to $500 to 20,000 New Yorkers. The pilot would include New Yorkers from all five boroughs burdened by the cost of rent and child care. Those getting cash would also be connected to mental health counseling, financial literacy workshops and workforce training.
Blake would not expand it to be universal, but keep it targeted at fighting poverty. “When people are able to have more (money) upfront and consistently, they are less reliant on other governmental programs and needs,” he said.
The size and scope of Blake’s guaranteed plan would be guided by a True Cost of Living report meant to more accurately track needs in the city. The Adams administration still hasn’t released that required report.
So there’s no price tag yet — but Blake said he would look for philanthropic partnerships and would even be willing to draw down on the city’s reserves to pay for it. “Within the budget that we have of this size, it is implausible for me to say we cannot find a way to try.”
While most other candidates don’t have direct cash plans, Council Speaker Adrienne Adams has proposed a guaranteed income program that would focus on homeless kids and young adults. As speaker, she’s allocated funds to a pilot program giving direct cash assistance to pregnant homeless women. — Jeff Coltin
