News

No, Palm Springs Isn’t Giving Cash to Transgender and Nonbinary Residents

California City to Give Universal Income to Transgender and Nonbinary Residents, Regardless of their Earnings reportedYesterday’s Fox News. “Transgender residents in Palm Springs, California are eligible to receive a UBI of up to $900 per month solely for identifying as transgender or nonbinary—no strings attached,” writes reporter Houston Keene.

This is not true.

Unfortunately, the article misrepresents Palm Springs’ actual events. In Palm Springs there is no universal basic-income program.

This story is not only misreported by Fox News or affiliates. For example, NBC 4 Los Angeles Los AngelesThe magazine offered many confusing options.

Actually, $200,000 was approved by the Palm Springs City Council for two nonprofits to study and create a local community. PotenzialGuaranteed income pilot program. “The City of Palm Springs will initially provide financial assistance to enable the pilot program. [DAP Health and Queer Works]DAP Health stated in a press statement that they were aiming to “study best practices and local research to guide their design processes,” DAP Health said.

Palm Springs officials aren’t off the hook for questionable decisions—$200,000 is a lot of money for a study group. There are many more worthwhile things that the city could do with these funds.

But the idea that the city is set to run its own guaranteed income program—and that this program will give cash to nonbinary and transgender residents regardless of need—is simply wrong.

DAP Health and Queer Works, with the help of the city’s money, are currently preparing a proposal they will use “to engage potential government and financial underwriters to the pilot.” They don’t have any guarantee that they will get these funding sources. California’s state is seeking proposals for pilot programs that guarantee guaranteed income. However, DAP Health and Queer Works are still far from being ready to submit their programs for consideration.

DAP Health and Queer Works both “indicated their intention to prioritize support local individuals who were Transgender and/or Non-Binary,” however, it’s unclear what that will mean. They currently propose to pay between $600-$900 per month to those who are enrolled in their pilot program. But, the groups claimed that most details were still to be decided.

There is no indication that anyone enrolled in this theoretical pilot program will have to fulfill any type of eligibility requirement. Queer Works states that conditions are required in a proposal summary.“Eligibility” does not include legal status, education and job history. As part of the research phase and design phases, eligibility criteria will be determined.

Palm Springs officials are not inclined to invest more than $200,000 in the program.

According to The, Jacob Rostovsky CEO of Queer Works said that Palm Springs might need to agree with the matching funds offered by the state in order for them to finance the program. Desert Sun. Council members however “had reservations” about the idea.

Lisa Middleton of Palm Springs, who is transgender herself, is skeptical as well. She stated that she was concerned about the potential for these guaranteed income programs being able to grow to meet the scale of the problem before them.

Middleton stated in an email to Fox News that her vote of affirmation was to grant $200,000 to DAP for the purpose of aiding them with their state funding application. “In advance, I stated that my conviction was not that guaranteed income programs are the right long-term path to go. “I did not agree to future funding for guaranteed income programs.”