ITSA Newsletter: June 2025

Here’s the latest and biggest Basic Income news:

‣ Canada reintroduces bill to develop a national framework for basic income

‣ Four bills banning basic income programs fail in Texas

‣ Ireland announces 6-month extension to their Basic Income for Artists pilot

‣ South Africa delays the launch of their basic income grant for another year

‣ NSF report concludes that 25% of workers could be displaced by AI by 2028

‣ Homelessness drops to 0% in $500/mo 2-year New Jersey pilot

UBI Video Spotlight:

ITSA Foundation Update:

Comingle, one of the main UBI projects that we are grant-funding, is entering its pilot phase next month. For the first time in its years of development, real people will be together creating a real income floor. For the rest of this year, the number of people taking part in its pilot phase will continue to slowly increase, with about ten people testing it out for a few months at first, followed by another 50-100 testing it out for another few months, before expanding to up to 10,000 people to really put it through its paces in 2026.

The basic income floor that Comingle facilitates will not be possible without enough people interested in being net donors, so if you are one of those people interested in making such a revolutionary floor possible, please consider donating to ITSA on a monthly basis right now, to the same degree you would as an active member of Comingle.

To donate to Comingle to help it through its pilot phase and to eventually subsidize its basic income floor, please use this donation page that provides more info and options.

Canada reintroduces bill to develop a national framework for basic income [link]

• Senator Kim Pate has introduced Bill S-206 for a guaranteed livable basic income in Canada.

• If passed, this bill would require the creation of the first national framework for an unconditional Guaranteed Livable Basic Income for all persons over 17.

• S-206 is the direct successor of Bills S-233 & C-223 introduced in 2021 by Senator Pate and MP Leah Gazan. S-233 passed 2nd Reading and was sent to Committee in 2023, but was terminated in 2025 with the dissolution of the 44th Parliament.

Four bills banning basic income programs fail in Texas [link]

• State lawmakers filed four bills to outlaw basic income programs this legislative session. None of the bills made it to the governor’s desk.

• SB 2010 would have banned governments and nonprofits from being able to provide both public and private direct cash payments to anyone.

• Despite this victory and a lawsuit still pending any decision, Harris County has decided to call it quits on their Uplift Harris program.

Ireland announces 6-month extension to their Basic Income for Artists pilot [link]

• Ireland’s 3-year Basic Income for the Arts Pilot will be extended for six months and allow for the full evaluation of the pilot before deciding what to do next.

• Since late 2022, about $380 a week has been going to 2,000 artists as basic income to better enable the pursuit of their art.

• While the pilot is still ongoing, it is clear from evidence collected to date that the BIA payment is having a “consistent, positive impact across almost all indicators.”

South Africa delays the launch of their basic income grant for another year [link]

• South Africa is inching closer to introducing a basic income grant but say more consultations are needed before a revised policy is presented to their Cabinet.

• It is unlikely that S.A. will adopt the basic income grant policy before the start of the 2026/27 financial year because of the required legislative processes.

• The Department of Social Development presented a first draft of its basic income support policy to the Social Protection, Community and Human Development Cluster Cabinet Committee in November 2024.

NSF report concludes that 25% of workers could be displaced by AI by 2028 [link]

• The report is the result of a proprietary mathematical model designed by the National Science Foundation to assess the impact of artificial intelligence on the workforce over the next three years.

• Universal Basic Income is presented in the report as a promising policy to stabilize incomes and support economic security during large-scale AI-driven job displacement, providing a permanent income floor for all citizens.

• The report also states that UBI can help maintain consumer spending, reduce stigma around financial need, and encourage personal growth without significantly reducing overall employment

Homelessness drops to 0% in $500/mo 2-year New Jersey pilot [link]

• A two-year pilot program in Newark, NJ provided $500/mo to 400 people in two ways: $250 twice a month, and $3000 twice a year.

• Those receiving the larger payments tended to make larger one-time purchases like household appliances or car repairs, while twice-monthly recipients tended to spend their smaller payments on rent, food, and other recurring expenses.

• Homelessness among people with twice-monthly payments vanished from 3% of recipients originally. For the control group, the homelessness rate remained at 2-3% throughout the trial period.

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Scott Santens

Founder & CEO, ITSA Foundation