She received a $20,000 basic income. Two years later, she's back to working multiple jobs.

Cepia Harper, 43, received basic income for two years. Kendrick Brinson for BI

Cepia Harper recieved $850 a month for two years from an Atlanta basic income program.

She earned a teaching certification and built savings, but is back to working multiple jobs.

US cities have run hundreds of programs offering no-strings-attached cash to low-income families.

Cepia Harper starts her day at dawn, commuting to her job as a middle school teacher in Atlanta's morning rush. After lecturing about thesis statements, the 43-year-old grades papers, tidies up her classroom, then clocks into her second shift selling sneakers at Nike from about 6 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

The two roles keep Harper financially afloat, especially after her guaranteed basic income program ended two years ago. She was part of Atlanta's cohort of 650 low-income Black women who received $20,400 cash between 2022 and 2024, no strings attached.…