Dr. Marisa Westbrook, faculty member of the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health, leads the qualitative evaluation of the Denver Basic Income Project (DBIP). The project, in research partnership with the University of Denver Center on Housing and Homelessness Research, recently published their findings in their Year One Research Report Executive Summary.
The DBIP is a project that provides monthly unconditional cash transfers to unhoused people living in Denver, Colorado. The aims of the program are to test the feasibility and impact of guaranteed income for unhoused people. The project has already deployed almost 10 million dollars to over 800 unhoused Denver residents. Dr. Westbrook’s evaluation work involves examining the impact of receiving a guaranteed basic income compared to receiving typical care and services through interviews with people receiving DBIP.
As summarized by one participant receiving DBIP funds, the impact of basic income “was a promising future, versus before, it wasn’t looking so good. It’s a light at the end of the tunnel, and before, I was kinda lost. It just really gave me some hope.”
The Year One Research Report demonstrates significant improvements in housing outcomes and financial wellbeing, among other outcomes. Read Dr. Westbrook’s qualitative report or find out more about the project by visiting the project website.