About UpLift – The Central Iowa Basic Income Pilot

UpLift – The Central Iowa Basic Income Pilot will take place in the central Iowa area which includes Polk, Dallas, and Warren counties. It is the first basic income pilot in the Midwest Region to encompass metropolitan, micropolitan, and rural communities. While central Iowa is growing in size, disparities in health and economic well-being continue to persist among communities.

In 2022, 1 in 4 central Iowans were considered “housing burdened” where more than 30% of their income was spent on housing costs. Furthermore, 53% of Black families and households in central Iowa are housing burdened. With the cost of living in Iowa increasing, it is becoming more difficult to meet ones basic living needs (food, housing, health care, child care, etc.), especially for families with children. Families are often thrown into crisis because of their inability to meet their own and their children’s basic living needs. While communities invest significant resources to help fill the gaps, effective solutions must address the root cause of the issue – poverty.

UpLift has the unique opportunity to research the effectiveness of a basic income model as a poverty-reduction-strategy. The basic income model gives individuals and families greater flexibility and stability to meet their basic living needs.