About MOVE
It is time to invest in the people of North Nashville.
Unconditional, direct cash transfers - or a guaranteed income - are the most efficient way to do this. The 37208 Demonstration will be a pilot to prove that our city needs a new approach to poverty.
MOVE believes in transformative change to end poverty and create a just and sustainable economy for all.
A history of harm and neglect created inequity and concentrated poverty in North Nashville. Now, the aftermath of a natural disaster, the Covid-19 Recession, tax increases, and a rising cost of living threaten to erase it entirely. We believe that Nashville must change how we address poverty.
Direct cash can disrupt poverty in Nashville.
Nashville created poverty in North Nashville. The construction of I-40 through its heart dead-ended the neighborhood, and mass incarceration has devastated 37208 more than other any zip code in America. By acknowledging this history and moving to address it, we restore can restore North Nashville and create a model that works anywhere.
Solving poverty in 37208 makes it solvable anywhere.
We are taking lessons learned with direct cash elsewhere and bringing them to Nashville.
Stockton, California
Stockton Economic Empowerment Demonstration (SEED) is the first city-led basic income experiment in the United State in Stockton, California, where median household income is $46,0333 (statewide: $61,818).
The experiment provided $500 transfers for 18 months to 125 randomly selected residents.
Residents report an increased ability to cover unexpected expenses, higher levels of optimism, and improved health.
Gatlinburg, Tennessee
The My People Fund by the Dollywood Foundation distributed $8 million to 900 families that lost homes in the Sevier County fires between December 2016 to May 2017. Each families received five monthly transfers of $1000 and a final transfer of $5000.
61% reported direct cash transfers were the most helpful support they received. 95% reported increased savings to deal with future disasters. A majority were able to regain their financial standing following the fires.
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville Economic Justice Alliance (NEJA) is NEJA is a grassroots organization that envisions a Nashville where all residents are guaranteed the economic resources they need in order to live healthy, happy, and productive lives. MOVE is partnering with NEJA to engage the community members for the 37208 Demonstration.
In order to achieve Dr. King's dream of "full equality," NEJA will harness the power of the Nashville community to advocate for the economic rights of those who call our city home.
Since 2018 NEJA has taken the lead in advocating for a guaranteed basic income in Nashville.