Examining Effects of Guaranteed Income for Low-Income Families (2025-2026)

Most existing government-administered assistance programs in the US offer in-kind benefits, or non-monetary benefits in the form of a good, service or targeted voucher. By contrast, Guaranteed Income (GI) programs provide regular, unconditional income benefits that are person-centered and emphasize autonomy, allowing recipients to choose how they use the funds, depending on their individual needs and current resources. 

Using semi-structured interviews and surveys, this project team explored the implementation and impact of direct cash assistance in three contexts: 1) as a response to Hurricane Helene recovery in Western North Carolina; 2) effectiveness of GI in rural communities; and 3) economic benefit and impact of a Duke-affiliated food delivery program, Root Causes, on food insecurity.

Across projects, the team’s findings suggest that communities and individuals can better address their unique needs with GI-like initiatives – specifically, cash assistance – over in-kind aid. Cash assistance is versatile, making it a particularly useful tool for addressing urgent problems (e.g., disaster recovery) or filling the gaps of other assistance programs. Overall, the team found that GI provides the greatest benefit when its structure and administration are tailored to the population it is intended to serve, underscoring the importance of involving local community members and other stakeholders in policy design.

Timing

Fall 2025 – Spring 2026

Team Outputs

WNC Strong: Grassroots Cash Transfers After Hurricane Helene (Webinar; May, 2026). 

Examining Effects of Guaranteed Income for Low-Income Families (Poster presentation at the Fortin Foundation Bass Connections Showcase, April 15, 2026)

Examining Effects of Guaranteed Income for Low-Income Families (Team profile)