Maine lawmakers study direct cash payments as anti-poverty tool
“Sass Linneken understands from personal experience how cash payments can help lift people out of poverty.
Linneken, who uses they/them pronouns, became homeless after getting pregnant at the age of 16. After years of struggling with homelessness, they eventually got a housing voucher and a stable place to live. But it wasn’t until Linneken received a cash payment of $15,000 in retroactive child tax credits that they were able to pay off some debts and go to college.”