"I No Longer Have to Live without": Qualitative Findings from the Denver Basic Income Project

Background and Purpose

Guaranteed income programs have expanded rapidly in the United States over the last 6 years. In 2019, there were approximately 30 guaranteed income programs around the country and in 2024 there are now over 100. Understanding the impact of guaranteed income will be crucial for the ongoing policy adoption of this anti-poverty approach. The Denver Basic Income Project (DBIP) is the largest guaranteed income program for people experiencing homelessness. This study assessed homeless participants’ perspectives on health and stability as a result of evaluating DBIP.

Methods

DBIP is an ongoing mixed-methods randomized control trial providing guaranteed income to a diverse group of over 800 unhoused people from 2022-2024. We conducted 49 semi-structured interviews with 26 unique participants over the course of the first program year (2022-2023) at the 2-month and 10-month time pointst. Interview participants were randomly selected from the full DBIP sample, and included a diverse group of individuals experiencing both sheltered and unsheltered homelessness receiving three different cash transfer amounts. The three cash transfer amounts are as follows: Group A participants received $1,000 a month; Group B participants received $6,500 when they enrolled in DBIP and then received $500 a month in each subsequent month; Group C participants received $50 a month and were considered the active control condition. All DBIP participants also received a cell phone with 12-months of service and access to a debit card to receive their guaranteed income.

Results

Participants reported prioritizing a hierarchy of needs supporting physical and mental health, including meeting their immediate needs (e.g., hygiene, food, transportation), covering or catching up on regular bills and expenses (e.g., rent, utilities, healthcare), and, when able, using funds to support bigger changes (e.g., housing transitions, paying off debt). When asked about the impact of guaranteed income on their daily lives, almost all participants noted feelings of relief from financial stressors, decreased everyday stress, and increased hopefulness for the future. Participants also expressed a stronger sense of self-confidence and goals of self-sufficiency at the 10-month interview time point. Guaranteed income, however, did not resolve all tensions – concerns about their new financial situations, navigating family dynamics, or the ability to continue progressing at the end of the program emerged. A large group of DBIP participants were also engaged in other social supports or programs and were able to move into housing due to the combination of financial support and resource access, pointing to the benefits of combining unconditional cash transfers with housing opportunities for housing stability.

Conclusions and Implications

Findings suggest that guaranteed income benefits health and pathways towards stability for people experiencing homelessness and may aid in reducing social inequities. The study's findings, as the largest guaranteed income program for people experiencing homelessness, hold significant implications for policy decision-making, particularly as law makers contemplate the adoption of universal basic income.