The Universal Basic Income Experiment
The Universal Basic Income Experiment (UBI) essentially proved that recipients of actual income experienced improved mental health and access to safer living situations.
Source: Freepik
So Denver decided to put the experiment into practice and began handing out monthly payments to some of its unhoused residents.
Denver’s Payment Plan
Here’s how it works: The city of Denver allowed those experiencing homelessness to enroll in the Denver Basic Income Project.
Source: David McNew/Newsmakers/Getty Images
Those who did were able to receive either $6,500 upfront followed by $500 per month, $1,000 every month consistently, or even just $50 per month.
Denver Basic Income Project’s Statistics
The Denver Basic Income Project reported seriously impressive statistics just six months after the plan was put into place.
Source: Denverbasicincomeproject.org
First, the percentage of participants who stated they consistently slept outside decreased from 8% to 2%, and the number of those sleeping in a shelter fell from 23% to 10%.
Denver’s Homeless Participants Got to Work
In addition to finding places to live with their new monthly allotment, many of Denver’s homeless in the program also got jobs almost immediately.
Source: Freepik
In fact, the percentage of people working full-time increased from 18% to 25% for those who opted to receive $500 per month, and to 35% for those getting $1,000 every month.
Denver Isn’t the Only City Experimenting With UBI
Other cities such as San Francisco, California and Vancouver, Canada have also seen the benefits of a UBI program.
Source: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
San Francisco reported that with only $500 a month, many of its participants were able to find permanent housing, and Vancouver said that with a one time allotment of $5,600, many people in their city found housing almost immediately.
Homelessness Is Even Affecting the Employed Members of the Country
It’s important to understand that of the hundreds of thousands of people experiencing homelessness across the country, many are already employed.
Source: Guy Smallman/Getty Images
However, with the ever-increasing rent costs, those who work minimum wage jobs simply cannot afford housing on their small salaries.
Most People Experiencing Homelessness Want to Work
As well, it’s a common misconception that people living on the streets or in shelters who don’t have jobs don’t actually want to work.
Source: iStock
Realistically, the majority of people struggle to find work as they need money to keep themselves presentable, get to work on time, and even apply for jobs as most applications are only accepted online.
The UBI Results Are Encouraging
Mark Donovan, founder and executive director of the Denver Basic Income Project explained to the media that the results from their program are extremely encouraging.
Source: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
He said, “These are all paths that could eventually lead participants out of poverty and allow them to be less dependent on social support programs.”
Homelessness in Denver
While this kind of program is extremely important and profoundly helpful, it’s not enough to completely solve the homelessness issue in Denver.
Source: Mario Tama/Getty Images
According to a recent study, homelessness in Denver is at an all time high, rising by almost 44% in the last five years. And many argue that in order to make a real difference, local officials have to create a concrete solution.
Supporting the Denver Basic Income Project
Of course, one way they could get started is by supporting the Denver Basic Income Project and other programs like it.
Source: Denverbasicincomeproject.org
But in order to make that happen, the residents of Denver will need to vote for government officials that believe in the value of the UBI experiment.
People Experiencing Homelessness Just Need a Little Help
The truth is that many people experiencing homelessness in America simply need a little help to get back on their feet.
Source: Bill Tompkins/Getty Images
And with programs such as the Denver Basic Income Project and other UBI experiments becoming more popular around the country, many hope that these people will finally be able to do exactly that.