Stockton, California, is giving away money ― “no strings attached” — to more than 100 of its residents as part of a controversial experiment to combat poverty. Mayor Michael Tubbs announced last year that the city would be collaborating with the Economic Security Project to see what kind of impact universal basic income (UBI) could have on the lives of the community’s most vulnerable citizens. In its purest form, UBI refers to a fixed income that every adult would receive from the government. In Stockton’s case, a diverse group of about 130 adults who live in the city’s lower-income neighborhoods have been chosen to receive a monthly stipend of $500 for a period of 18 months, The Sacramento Bee reported. The first $500 prepaid debit cards were sent out to the chosen beneficiaries on Friday.

It's a big day for the @stocktondemo and @michaeldtubbs with the first #guaranteedincome payments going out! A group of 100 people will share with researchers how $500 affects their lives over the course of the next year and a half. #SEED#basicincomehttps://t.co/10i0sTBeBDpic.twitter.com/edAiqOvnZa — Economic Security Project (@EconomicSecProj) February 15, 2019

City officials say they hope the experiment — which is reportedly funded by a $1 million grant from the Economic Security Project, as well as another $2 million from private foundations and individual donors — will offer insights into whether a basic income program could be a long-term solution to helping lower-income residents. “Maybe in two or three years, we can have a much more informed discussion about the social safety net, the income floor people deserve and the best way to do it because we’ll have more data and research,” Tubbs said. He told Reuters last year that he learned of the UBI concept from the writings of Martin Luther King Jr. Once referred to as America’s “foreclosure capital,” Stockton declared bankruptcy in 2012. Though its fiscal health has since recovered, one in four of the city’s residents lives under the poverty line and its median household income is more than $10,000 less than the national figure.

Exciting! Congrats to the team, the city, and to the recipients. We’ve learned so much getting to this point and I am looking forward to learning more. Stockton lead the way @stocktondemo#ReinventStocktonhttps://t.co/j2OPkA4zG8 — Michael Tubbs (@MichaelDTubbs) February 15, 2019