Resources

See the data, from Florida's own guaranteed income programs to the growing body of national research.

Guaranteed income programs across Florida and the U.S. are producing measurable results for participants and their communities. Whether a program serves hundreds or a targeted handful, direct cash works.

For participants, guaranteed income is more than a check. It's the ability to breathe, to plan, and to show up for family without fear.

Florida Landscape

Community Spring (Alachua County, FL)

Community Spring’s Just Income program has served over 170 people and disbursed $1.3 million across four cohorts. An independent University of Pennsylvania randomized controlled trial shows significant impacts across criminal justice outcomes, economic stability, and family well-being.

Key Highlights:

  • Reduced recidivism and improved probation compliance — Participants are significantly less likely to be rearrested or violate probation, producing net savings for taxpayers

  • No reduction in employment, with room to improve job quality — Guaranteed income does not lead to less work. Instead, participants gain the stability to pursue better jobs rather than accepting any position out of desperation

  • Reduced hunger, stronger financial resilience, and better mental health — Participants report improved food security, greater ability to withstand financial shocks, and better mental health, creating "an interruption in the downward spiral of poverty, stress, and recidivism"

What Participants Say:

  • "It wasn't just money, it was trust. And that trust pushed me."

  • "I paid off my restitution with it. It was the first time I felt in control since I came home."

  • "At no point did I wonder how my phone bill would get paid. That peace of mind… you can't put a price on it."

  • "I'm not just surviving, I'm showing my daughter a different way."

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GI 305 (Miami-Dade County, FL)

GI 305 provided $650 per month to 5 residents for 18 months, totaling $58,500 in direct cash support. While small in scale, the deep, transformative impact on these families’ lives provided powerful evidence of how unconditional support restores agency.

Key Highlights:

  • 100% of participants gained time — Every survey respondent agreed or strongly agreed that guaranteed income gave them more time

  • Stronger relationships and reduced stress — 41% reported improved relationships with friends, family, and community through reduced financial stress; 30% were able to spend more quality time with loved ones

  • Increased agency and control — 92% agreed or strongly agreed with the statement "I am the driver of my own life"

What Participants Say:

  • "It's now allowed me to obtain health insurance and to take care of my physical health."

  • "I can advocate for myself in the workplace. Enough money has been put away where I can find another job."

  • "Some highlights I've experienced: buying my daughter new school uniforms, treating my track students to ice cream, and keeping the lights on."

  • "I no longer have a need to donate blood to make extra cash."

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National Landscape

From small rural towns to major cities, guaranteed income is proving effective everywhere it's tried.

Notable Programs:

  • Stockton SEED (California) — The first mayor-led pilot in the U.S.

  • Denver Basic Income Project (Colorado) — A major initiative proving that direct cash increases housing stability and reduces shelter reliance for people experiencing homelessness.

  • Magnolia Mother's Trust (Mississippi) — One of the first guaranteed income initiatives in the country, supporting Black mothers in affordable housing.

  • The GRO Fund (Georgia) — Creator of "In Her Hands," one of the largest guaranteed income pilots in the South, focused on closing racial and gender wealth gaps.

  • Rx Kids (Michigan) — The nation's first citywide prenatal and infant cash program, now expanded across dozens of Michigan communities.

  • Excel Pilot Program (North Carolina) — A guaranteed income pilot for formerly incarcerated individuals, evaluated by the same UPenn center that validated Just Income.

  • Truth and Reconciliation Project (Louisiana) — A reparations-focused initiative with the ACLU, providing direct cash to people who experienced police misconduct.

  • Rural Guaranteed Minimum Income Initiative (Multi-state) — Funds guaranteed income studies in rural counties across the country.

  • CLIMB (South Carolina) — A pilot supporting fathers working to strengthen their families, launched by Columbia's mayor.

  • GIG A2 (Michigan) — Guaranteed income for low-income entrepreneurs, showing how cash can fuel small business growth, not just cover bills.

Research & Advocacy

  • Center for Guaranteed Income Research at UPenn — The leading academic institution conducting rigorous, randomized controlled trials of cash initiatives nationwide.

  • OpenResearch — One of the largest guaranteed income studies in the U.S., providing detailed findings on how unconditional cash affects health, parenting, employment, and agency.

  • Income Movement — A national coalition organizing grassroots advocacy to advance direct-cash policies.

  • Mayors for a Guaranteed Income — A growing coalition of mayors piloting local guaranteed income programs across the U.S.

  • Economic Security Project — A key national advocacy organization pushing for policy changes to build economic power for all.

  • Guaranteed Income Community of Practice (GICP) — A network of policy experts, researchers, and local leaders sharing best practices and advancing guaranteed income policy nationwide.