By Ashleigh Hamilton, Austin American-Statesman
I am an Austinite. My family was one of the first to settle in Clarksville, a historic Black settlement. My great aunt’s house is a landmark.
My family always believed in hard work, and back in 2021, I was working myself so hard that I went to the hospital with dangerously high blood pressure.
They told me, “Ma’am, you cannot work the way that you are, you’re going to kill yourself.” But I can’t afford not to work. We’ll fall behind on our bills, we’ll lose our house. And even though I make “too much” to qualify for benefits, I’m barely making ends meet.
Things changed when I enrolled in the Central Texas 12-Month Fund. UpTogether and philanthropic partners gave $1,000 a month for one year to 173 households in Austin and Georgetown starting in March of 2021. The city of Austin used the results to launch its own guaranteed income fund, which continues today as Family Stabilization Grants.
UpTogether told us: “Here’s money that we know folks need. You figure out how it works best for your family.”
I was able to let go of one of my three jobs, make home-cooked meals and put my kids to bed every night. To some people that might seem like the smallest thing. But to hear my child tell me she was tired of me working too much and she was just happy to have a mom present — that’s something I think most families should get to experience.
The investment was only for a short time, and allowed me to stabilize my finances, improve my health and pursue my goals.
That’s why I’m grateful that the Texas Legislature did not pass a ban to prevent cities like Austin from doing a guaranteed income program. The Senate passed Senate Bill 2010, but the bill did not come up for a vote in the House by the end of the session.
I’m proud that I helped oppose the bill. In March, I went to the Capitol to testify in support of guaranteed income. I asked lawmakers: Who are they trying to serve by banning these initiatives? Because it’s not the single mother who just wants to provide for her kids. It’s not the family who just wants stability. It’s not just thousands of Texans who have proven that when you trust people with resources, they use them to build better lives, better communities and better economies. Banning guaranteed income would do nothing but push people further into struggle.
I wanted them to know that I stand behind policies that give Texans the freedom and dignity to build their own futures. I also wanted to confront the stereotype that we’re lazy, that we don’t want to work. I’m one of the hardest working people that you’ll ever meet. Should we have to work ourselves to death, like I almost did, just to survive?
I’m beyond grateful to have had the opportunity to share my story and speak truth to power — and lawmakers listened. This fight isn’t just about me — it’s about every single person who has been dismissed, overlooked and told they don’t deserve financial autonomy. We know the truth: Direct cash support works. Economic justice is our right.
Thank you, Texas lawmakers. Please don’t let this bill come up again.
Ashleigh Hamilton is the grants chair for The Black Fund of Central Texas and is pursuing her bachelor’s degree with the goal of becoming a midwife. She lives in Austin with her two children.
This post was originally published on Basic Income Today.