(KIWA Staff Photo)
Statewide Iowa (RI) — Researchers are studying the results of an experiment that gave dozens of low-income Iowans $500 a month for two years.
There were 110 participants in the Central Iowa Basic Income Pilot who received the money, and they were compared to a control group that received nothing.
One of the lead researchers, Amy Castro at the University of Pennsylvania, says they examined whether participants felt like they mattered.
Castro says the extra money helped participants feel validated in their communities, which led them to feel more self-reliant about moving forward. The study looked at how basic income affected finances, health, and mental wellbeing.
Lead researcher Stacia West, also at the University of Pennsylvania, says the small financial boost gave people the mindset to plan for their future.
West says participants didn’t completely recover financially, but the payments gave them the ability to pursue resources they couldn’t access before.
The two-year program launched in 2023 in Polk, Dallas, and Warren counties. A 2024 state law prohibits local governments from participating in similar programs in the future.
