City of Rochester
News Release
(Thursday, Aug. 26, 2021) – Mayor Lovely Warren’s Reparations and Universal Basic Income (RUBI) Committee will host its first virtual community listening session on the topic of reparations via Zoom web conference, 7 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 31.
“Reparations and Universal Basic Income is about changing lives and uplifting neighborhoods,” said Mayor Warren. “This is an exciting opportunity for our residents; a potential game changer for families to overcome poverty. Homeownership is the way for residents to overcome poverty and build wealth and we want to exhaust every option that’s available to us in order to change outcomes. I encourage the community’s participation in helping us shape how potential reparations may look in our city.”
The reparations subcommittee is seeking the public’s input as they explore ways to right the wrongs of decades of injustice and inequities for Black and Brown residents.
Interested residents can participate in the Community Listening Session visiting www.rocrubi.com/meetings-events. The event will also be livestreamed on the ROC RUBI Facebook page (www.facebook.com/RocRUBI) for those who simply wish to watch.
The RUBI exploratory committee is charged with reviewing existing Universal Basic Income and reparation pilots in other communities to understand what life-changing programs can be developed in Rochester. The initiative seeks to use potential marijuana tax revenue to close the wealth gap to achieve equity and home ownership.
###