MAYORS FOR A GUARANTEED INCOME JOINS NEW JERSEY STATEWIDE COALITION ADVOCATING FOR CASH PROGRAMS FOR NEW FAMILIES

TRENTON, N.J., May 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Mayors for a Guaranteed Income is one of more than a dozen organizations that have joined together to form the New Jersey Cash Alliance, a new coalition advocating for cash-based policies to support families in the Garden State.

Members of the New Jersey Cash Alliance include nonprofit organizations that have directly served communities across the state like the United Way of Greater Newark and New Jersey Citizen Action, as well as other national advocacy groups like the Economic Security Project.

The coalition aims to build upon the rising momentum for cash-based support programs in New Jersey in recent years, which led to the establishment of the New Jersey Child Tax Credit in 2022 and guaranteed income pilots which ran in Newark in 2022 to 2024 and Paterson in 2021-2022. This progress has continued with the launch of the Bridge Project cash program in October 2025, which supports 250 mothers across six New Jersey counties with direct, flexible financial assistance.

"The Newark Movement for Economic Equity (NMEE) guaranteed income pilot program definitively demonstrated that cash payments boosted financial stability and improved child outcomes," said Newark Mayor Ras Baraka. "I am proud that our work in Newark continues to serve as a model to inform statewide efforts for economic mobility. We must turn these pilots into policy across New Jersey."

"New Jersey is one of the wealthiest states in the country, but it is also one of the most unequal. Cash policies like the expanded Child Tax Credit are essential steps toward dismantling this economic inequality and providing the stability that every family deserves," said Laura Sullivan of the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice.

"We believe that investing in families and working residents is a statement of our values and the best way to secure a stronger, more stable future for everyone. The New Jersey Cash Alliance will raise its collective voice until we deliver the flexible, unrestricted cash-based programs that our communities urgently need," said Rosemary Nwabueze of New Jersey Citizen Action.

"As the number of Asset Limited Income Constrained and Employed (ALICE) families continues to rise, policymakers must look to proven, simple solutions that provide immediate relief. Cash-based support gives New Jersey families the freedom to afford their most pressing needs, whether it be food, housing, or child care," said Catherine Wilson of United Way of Greater Newark.

"Cash works, and New Jersey has the data to prove it," said Nicole Rodriguez, President of New Jersey Policy Perspective. "Expanding the Child Tax Credit and exploring new cash programs are among the most direct ways the state can reduce poverty and close the wealth gap."

"Costs are rising, wages are stagnating, and New Jersey families are struggling to make ends meet," said Jonathan Gershberg, Lead Organizer for the New Jersey Cash Alliance. "It's time for leaders in Trenton to invest in simple and effective cash policies that've been proven to provide the stability all New Jerseyans deserve."

Michael D. Tubbs, founder of Mayors for a Guaranteed Income, said "The establishment of the New Jersey Cash Alliance is another sign that the movement for direct cash is growing across the country. Data from guaranteed income programs from across the country shows that just a little bit of cash can create opportunities for families to move from surviving to thriving."

Founded in June of 2020 by former Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs, Mayors for a Guaranteed Income is a coalition of nearly 180 mayors committed to advancing a federal guaranteed income – direct, recurring cash payments to middle and low-income people. Expanding to include city and county legislators in 2023 with Counties for a Guaranteed Income, and state legislators with Legislators for a Guaranteed Income in 2025, the network acts as a research and resource hub for municipal pilots around the country–over 70 and counting. An award-winning documentary film, It's Basic, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in June 2023, follows recipients and illuminates the life-changing impact of guaranteed income programs on families' economic security and opportunity.

SOURCE Mayors for a Guaranteed Income