Jan. 30, 2023 - For two years, a small group of low-income households in Hudson have been receiving monthly checks of $500 as part of a five-year pilot program testing the idea of a universal basic income. Leah Hamilton, an associate professor of social work at Appalachian State University and the principal investigator of HudsonUP, which is overseeing the experiment, provides an update on the project and makes the case for monthly support payments.