Session: Unconditional Cash Transfers and Homelessness: Findings and Implications for Research and Policy (Society for Social Work and Research 30th Annual Conference Anniversary)

Giving cash to persons experiencing homelessness (PEH) has been gaining popularity among researchers seeking ways to alleviate homelessness amidst a severe shortage of affordable housing. Still relatively recent, preliminary research on unconditional cash transfers (UCTs) has shown positive results without prompting the purchase of ‘temptation goods’ such as drugs or alcohol (Dwyer et al., 2023). Studies of UCTs for PEH�whether adults or young people ages 18-24--have typically adopted experimental designs with one or more intervention arms and a ‘services as usual (SAU) control group. The disbursement of the cash may vary in the timing and size of the cash disbursement (a lump sum, monthly payments, or a combination of the two). As an incentive for participation, control group members may receive a small payment, e.g., 50$ per month. Social work researchers have made significant contributions to UCT research. The goal of this symposium is to feature four studies and their findings in impacting the lives of PEH. Two studies are with adults and two are with youths. Positive outcomes included secure housing procurement (with or without obtaining a rental voucher), financial well-being, health and mental health status and social support. While quantitative data are used to assess the effects of UCTs, qualitative interviews are also included to reveal how recipients used the cash in unexpected ways, the impact (if any) of cash on their social and familial relationships, and their prospects for employment or job training. The four studies�the Denver Basic Income Project, Miracle Friends and Miracle Money Project (Los Angeles), Point Source Youth’s Young Adult Homelessness Prevention Study (seven states) and Chapin Hall’s Trust Youth Initiative (New York and San Francisco)�comprise leading UCT research on ending or preventing homelessness. Presenters will review their study’s methods, implementation, results and impact. Findings reveal participants used the money to pay off debts and purchase needed items (clothing, food, toiletries) rather than spending for ‘temptation goods’. However, statistically significant differences did not favor the intervention vs. control groups in quantitative measures of outcomes. Qualitative findings reveal a more in-depth and complex picture of how study participants achieved incremental gains (e.g., completed paperwork for a rental voucher; purchased a used car to drive to a job) without substantial changes in their housing situation and employment. A discussant will address the UCT findings in terms of structural barriers (e.g., fundamental lack of affordable housing; bureaucratic obstacles), methodological limitations and other plausible explanations for the results. The four studies in this symposium offer an important inflection point for ascertaining what matters most in ending homelessness and also demonstrating how study participants navigate the complex and at times confusing paths to gaining housing and a more stable life. Further research on UCTs is needed that can explore the interplay of structural factors that money alone cannot reverse, methodological enhancements (e.g., qualitative components) and interim or incremental changes that can ultimately determine scalability and sustainability. y.