“I’d Probably Be Homeless”: Basic Income Participants’ Lived Experiences Related to Housing Stability, Health, and Wellbeing

This research draws from participant interviews at baseline, midpoint, and conclusion of a two-year Basic Income program designed to lift 76 families, with at least one child under the age of six, above the California poverty line by supplying a guaranteed monthly cash stipend (average: 1289 per month). Theoretically, we bring the Family Stress Model into the conversation with the Theory of Change that underpins Guaranteed Income programming, namely that freedom and choice empower families to mitigate stress, manage funding, and better navigate the multifactorial aspects of living in poverty. Participants report that the Basic Income program offered a much-appreciated reprieve from poverty and reported using the funds to stabilize their housing and support the health and development of themselves and their children. Participants also highlighted how guaranteed cash programming can pair with traditional social service case management to better benefit recipients.