Universal Basic Income (UBI) has been proposed as a solution to the potential job losses caused by the growth of automation and artificial intelligence (AI)
¹². The idea is that a guaranteed income for all would address the failure of employers to distribute the spoils of economic growth fairly among workers, propelled, at least in part, by automation
¹. Some proponents of UBI point to it as a dividend due to workers for their role in the development and dissemination of knowledge used to train AI models ¹.
In terms of homelessness, one universal basic income pilot program is testing what happens when unhoused individuals are given $500 per month.
The program found that the participants used the money better than any way that the program's leader could have told them to ¹. The program, called Miracle Money, is the first of its kind to target the homeless in the U.S. ².
Dr. Clarke says a UBI can help address homelessness because it will circumvent stigma associated with needs-based welfare. But most importantly, it will help address structural issues that drive homelessness – the lack of and inability to pay for affordable housing ³⁴.
In conclusion, while UBI has been proposed as a solution to the potential job losses caused by the growth of automation and AI, it can also help address homelessness by providing a guaranteed income to all citizens, circumventing stigma associated with needs-based welfare, and addressing structural issues that drive homelessness ¹²³⁴.
Source: Conversation with Bing, 11/29/2023
(1) How one universal basic income experiment is helping the homeless - CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/21/how-one-universal-basic-income-experiment-is-helping-the-homeless.html.
(2) Can a universal basic income help address homelessness?. https://newsroom.unsw.edu.au/news/social-affairs/can-universal-basic-income-help-address-homelessness.
(3) Can a universal basic income help address homelessness? - UNSW Sydney. https://www.unsw.edu.au/newsroom/news/2022/11/can-a-universal-basic-income-help-address-homelessness-.
(4) Can a universal basic income help address homelessness? - Phys.org. https://phys.org/news/2022-11-universal-basic-income-homelessness.html.