8 GROUNDCOVER NEWS BASELINE REPORT What is Guaranteed Income to Grow Ann Arbor? Guaranteed Income to Grow Ann Arbor, known as GIG A2, is a pilot program that provides monthly guaranteed income payments of $528 to 100 entrepreneurs, gig workers, and self-employed workers with low incomes who live in Ann Arbor. The monthly payments began in January 2024 and will end in December 2025. GIG A2 is unique compared to other guaranteed income programs for its focus on entrepreneurs and gig workers, with the goal of seeing whether the monthly payments allow people to grow their businesses or take a step back from their side hustles and focus on other priorities. All GIG A2 participants take surveys throughout the pilot program and some participants also complete in-depth interviews about what difference the money makes for them and their overall well-being. This research will inform future discussions about expanding guaranteed income in Washtenaw County and across the country. GIG A2 is funded with $1.6 million of the City of Ann Arbor’s federal American Rescue Plan Act money plus additional funds from the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation. Ann Arbor city council voted in June 2023 to move forward with the version of the pilot program proposed by Poverty Solutions at the University of Michigan. U-M designed and implemented the program and is now evaluating its impact. Several partner organizations in the Ann Arbor area advised on the design and launch of GIG A2. Who is part of the guaranteed income pilot? One hundred people who met the eligibility criteria were randomly selected to receive the $528 monthly payments. Another 100 people who met the eligibility criteria were randomly selected to participate in the research study without receiving the guaranteed income payments. They receive small monthly stipends and play a critical role in making the research possible. What type of work do GIG A2 participants do? Entrepreneurship can mean many different things. GIG A2 includes people who have side hustles, are trying to start a business, who have a business going, or are gig workers. The charts above show the type of work GIG A2 participants do. How are people using the money so far? GIG A2 participants recently completed a survey about how they have used the guaranteed income payments in the first year of the pilot program. The U-M research team also has interviewed some participants to learn more about what difference the money makes for them and their overall well-being. This chart shows participants’ top needs and priorities for the guaranteed income payments at the start of the pilot program. Continued on page 10. MAY 2, 2025 Guaranteed income meets the Ann Arbor hustle The data include GIG A2 participants who are 25 and older in order to match how the Census reports the educational attainment of all Ann Arbor residents.
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