Twelve Month Outcomes of Guaranteed Income Program for People Experiencing Homelessness

Background and Purpose: Income disparities have been associated with a range of negative health outcomes. One visible example of growing poverty in the United States is the increase in homelessness in many communities across the country. The number of people experiencing homelessness in the United States is contentious, with reports ranging from 550,000 to 1.5 million people. One emerging approach to address issues associated with homelessness is to provide a guaranteed income, or unconditional direct cash transfers. This paper describes results from the first 12 months of The Denver Basic Income Project (DBIP), which tested guaranteed income for people who were unhoused using a mixed methods randomized controlled trial research design.

Methods: In 2022, the Denver Basic Income Project (DBIP) began providing unconditional cash transfers to 804 unhoused people living in Denver, CO. The 804 DBIP participants were randomized into one of three conditions:

• Group A: Participants receive 12 monthly cash transfers of $1,000
• Group B: Participants receive a one-time cash transfer of $6,500 during the initial enrollment month and then 11 monthly cash transfers of $500.
• Group C: Participants receive 12 monthly cash transfers of $50. Group C is considered the active comparison condition.

During the first 12 months of the project, data were collected by longform surveys at three time points: Enrollment (Timepoint 1), 6 months after enrollment (Timepoint 2), and 10 months after enrollment (Timepoint 3). Of the 804 program participants, 631 consented to research and completed the Timepoint 1 survey.

Results: Target outcomes include housing, financial well-being, health, family and social networks, and public health and safety interactions. This paper will highlight findings across these target areas. For example, in general, housing outcomes improved at a similar rate for all three groups. Roughly 45% of participants in each group reported having their own house or apartment at Timepoint 3. Then, specifically for DBIP participants who were unsheltered at enrollment, 45% of Group A participants secured a house or apartment that they rent or own at Timepoint 3; 25% of Group B participants secured a house or apartment that they rent or own at Timepoint 3; and 28% of Group C participants secured a house or apartment that they rent or own at Timepoint 3. More participants in Groups A and B reported working full-time at Timepoint 3, compared to Timepoint 1, while fewer participants in Group C reported working full-time. Additionally, while little to no changes in stress and anxiety were detected, stress related to parenting was improved for participants in all three payment groups.

Conclusions and Implications: Findings from the Denver Basic Income Project add to the growing knowledge base of the impacts of guaranteed income for various populations. As one of the first guaranteed income projects for people experiencing homelessness, and the largest, these findings provide evidence of the potential impact of unconditional cash payments on securing housing and employment for people who are unhoused.