Guaranteed Income Works: Data from Boulder, CO
Elevate Boulder
Elevate Boulder, a guaranteed income pilot launched by the City of Boulder in Fall 2023, provided $500 per month for 24 months to 200 residents. To qualify, participants had to earn between 30-60% of Area Median Income for the city. The goal was to give participants flexibility to address their own needs and priorities, while also learning how guaranteed income might affect financial security, health, and overall well-being in Boulder.
The City of Boulder partnered with Omni Institute’s Center for Social Investment to evaluate the program. Out of 200 program participants, 170 people (85%) agreed to take part in the evaluation.
Key Takeaways
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Participants reported that before the pilot, they regularly struggled to pay for basic needs. The number of basic needs that participants found difficult to afford reduced significantly from Baseline to 8-month follow-up, and remained similarly low through 20 months.
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There was a significant reduction in food insecurity, 8 months into Elevate Boulder, and this level was sustained at 20 months. Affordability of food remained a leading pressure on households, reflecting a deeper need.
Participants were better able to keep up with rents and mortgages, as well as utility expenses, at 8 and 20 months. Participants reported a significant drop in the chance of a housing-related issue, from Baseline to 8-month follow-up.
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There was a significant decrease in participants’ reported psychological distress, from enrollment to 8 months, and this reduction was sustained at 20 months.
A large majority, 68.7 percent, reported that their general health was better at the end of Elevate Boulder, compared to when they enrolled.
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No negative impact on employment was found. There was no change in employment status for two-thirds of participants during Elevate Boulder. Approximately one-third of participants reported pursuing further training or education, and most attributed that decision to Elevate Boulder.
Findings from Elevate Boulder show improved social determinants of health, reducing financial hardship over basic needs, reducing mental distress and enabling a portion of participants to seek training and education for better employment opportunities. Guaranteed income had a limited impact on structural issues like lack of access to affordable childcare, healthcare, fresh food and financial counseling. Lasting health and economic equity requires both direct cash assistance and system-level investments.