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The Boulder gave $ 500 a month a month, no strings at 200 people for two years.
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The city published the final report on the effect of the program, which ends in December.
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Participants said they could afford the basic needs better, but the problems remained.
Two years ago, Colorado’s city determined to answer the question: can residents give $ 500 a month to residents without strings, which would be significantly improved?
200 residents who participated in the program were ambiguous. Although the payments have facilitated some direct challenges, long -term or structural issues remained.
The Boulder is one of the growing American cities and states experimenting with guaranteed basic income – a system in which governments provide some residents with repetitive cash benefits they can spend as they seem appropriate. People who can get guaranteed basic income programs usually fall below the federal poverty line or belong to a particular demographic indicator such as households with children.
Such programs are different from the universal basic income that pay cash to all residents, regardless of income or other parameters.
Although the main income programs have existed for a long time, they have been gaining popularity in recent years, and the revolution has been partly due to the AI. Some famous technology leaders have advocated universal basic income to compensate for potential loss of income as they are increasingly taking over people’s work. But others called the idea “fantasy.”
2023 Boulder decided to try. Through the program, known as the Elevate Boulder and using $ 3 million in the Funds of the American Rescue Plan Law, the first payments were dispelled in 2024. January
“We have seen that the data reflects that as financial trunks, including mental and physical well -being.
“This shows that although modest, consistent cash can facilitate rapid pressure, financial obstacles that can only respond to higher investment and systemic solutions remain.”
“Meaningful improvements”
The OMNI center rated dozens of participants to determine the effect of the program.
“Within 20 months, after receiving a cash of $ 500 every month, respondents reported that their ability to afford many basic needs, as well as mental and physical health, had a meaningful improvement,” the company said. “All areas of significant change mean better results.”
Specifically, the recipients said it was less difficult to obtain cash help, such as housing and food. They said payments also helped reduce stress.
“The uncertainty of food has fallen significantly, although on average respondents continued to have low food supply. Messages about rental or mortgage and utilities have also been significantly reduced and concerns about future housing affordability decreased,” the Omni center said. “The psychological disaster was significantly lower when they received $ 500 a month, and within 20 months, respondents were more likely to positively evaluate their overall health.”
Cash did not fix everything
The report states that the benefits made by Elevate Boulder did not discuss all problems, including child care and health care.
“There were no obvious changes in other areas of the respondents’ lives during the time they paid their monthly benefits,” said the non -profit organization. “Child care affordability has remained obstacles to those with children, and no improvements have been detected. Health insurance and delay in health care have not changed.”
The report also lists transport, employment, saving and debt as areas with no significant changes.
“The employment rate was high and the status of employment, the share of respondents working in many jobs, and the reconciliation of work and life goals did not change significantly, although many respondents used Elevate Boulder to invest funds in additional training or education that may have long-term benefits that have not yet appeared,” said Omni Center. “Similarly, the average level of savings and debts remained stable, as respondents who could cover unexpected $ 400 costs.”
Takeaway
The Omni Center said the “most consistent changes” were related to “direct, recurrent costs and stress -related results, indicating that the predictable monthly cash infusion was related to reduced reports of difficulties in these areas.”
However, structural or long -term challenges remained almost unchanged after 20 months of payments of $ 500.
“This difference shows that some needs are responding to modest, regular cash support, while others may need more investment or broader systemic and structural interventions,” said a non -profit organization.
In his report, the Boulder Center told officials that “Strategic Changes” were also necessary at system level, without cash benefits to achieve continuous progress of low -income population stability.
Boulder city representatives did not respond to Business Insider’s request to comment.
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