Projects

The Family Economic Policy Lab assists in the design and evaluation of multiple large guaranteed income pilots in the US. The lab also participates in education efforts and other research that can be viewed in our publications listings.

In Her Hands

In Her Hands is a guaranteed income initiative focused on putting a solution to financial insecurity in the hands of women in Georgia. No strings attached. This mixed-methods evaluation is based upon a Community Based Participatory Research model to prioritize community expertise and decision-making. Read more at Georgia Resilience and Opportunity (GRO) Fund.

• In Her Hands Baseline Findings
• In Her Hands Six Month Findings (2023)
• In Her Hands Year 1 Report (Feb 2024)

HudsonUP

HudsonUP is providing $500 each month to 123 selected Hudson residents over a period of 5 years. The program has been designed to benefit the Hudson community and demonstrate the power of basic income for all. The research design for this project employs a phenomenological qualitative approach to examine whether a basic income influences recipient well-being and future orientation. Learn more at the HudsonUP UBI Pilot website.

• HudsonUP Year 1 Report
• HudsonUP Year 2 Report
• HudsonUP Year 3 Report

Project Community Connections, Inc.

Project Community Connections, Inc. (PCCI) is a non-profit serving individuals experiencing homelessness in the Atlanta area. In this randomized controlled trial, 200 current clients will be randomly assigned to A) a treatment group receiving regular case management, housing assistance, and an unconditional $400 per month for twelve months and B) a control group receiving the same services without the additional cash assistance. Learn more at the PCCI website.

• Cohort One Report

Creatives Rebuild New York

Creatives Rebuild New York’s Guaranteed Income for Artists program is providing 2,400 artists across the state of New York with regular, no-strings-attached, cash payments of $1,000 per month for 18 consecutive months. The Family Economic Policy Lab is partnering with the Social Policy Institute at Washington University in St. Louis, the Cash Transfer Lab at New York University, and the Indiana University Center for Cultural Affairs to evaluate this project. Read more about Guaranteed Income for Artists.

DCo Thrives

DCo Thrives is a guaranteed income pilot program beginning Summer of 2024. This pilot program seeks to determine the effectiveness of providing no-strings-attached cash assistance, or “guaranteed income,” to low-income families in Durham County with the goal of increasing their economic security and well-being. This pilot’s cash assistance payments are intended to supplement, not replace, existing supports and move Durham families from just surviving to thriving. Our lab is consulting on program design and supporting the inter-institutional evaluation. Read the Durham County Thrives press release (2023).

City of St. Louis Guaranteed Basic Income Pilot Program

Mayor Tishaura O. Jones signed the St. Louis Working Families Bill (BB116), using American Rescue Plan funds to expand healthcare, connect our youth to better opportunities, and invest directly in communities. This ordinance contains $5 million for a Guaranteed Basic Income pilot program. Eligible recipients will receive a $500 monthly stipend for up to 18 months total. Our lab is collaborating with the Social Policy Institute at Washington University in St. Louis to evaluate this pilot and leading the qualitative evaluation. Read more about the STL Guaranteed Basic Income Pilot Program.

Child Tax Credit

The Child Tax Credit (CTC) project, a collaboration with the Social Policy Institute at Washington University in St. Louis, sought to understand the employment, financial, and wellbeing effects of the 2021 expansion to the CTC.

• Child Tax Credit Final Report