Leaders struggling to fund entirety of Denver Basic Income Project's second year

DENVER — In an update Wednesday, leaders of the Denver Basic Income Project said there is currently not enough money to cover participants for the entirety of its second year.

The program provides direct cash payments to people experiencing homelessness without conditions. Leaders addressed the Denver City Council Safety, Housing, Education and Homelessness Committee on Wednesday to provide an update, nearly one month after releasing the results from their first year .

"Currently, we've extended past where the pilot was originally designed to run for one year," said Gwen Battis, project manager for the Denver Basic Income Project. "Since that year's ended, we've extended for a second year, but we don't have the funding currently to run a full second year."

Battis told Denver7 that there is enough funding to make direct cash payments to Year 2 participants through September. She and other leaders are still working to secure enough funding to close out the rest of Year 2.

"That's kind of the point we're at right now," Battis said. "We're going to a lot of conferences. We're speaking with government, we're speaking with funders, just updating them on what we've been doing and hopefully able to move forward."

Project leaders also spoke with committee members about the differences between Year 1 and Year 2 of the project.

In the first year, 807 people received direct cash payments. Group A received $1,000 monthly for 12 months. Group B got a lump sum of $6,500 upfront and Group C received $50 monthly for 12 months.

In the second year, 674 people participated. Battis told Denver7 that the decrease in participants was due to a loss of communication with them or their desire to leave. In Year 2, Group A and Group B received $1,000 monthly for 12 months. Group C received $100 monthly for 12 months.

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Among those participating in the Denver Basic Income Project is Moriah Rodriguez, a mother of four who fell into hardship after she was hit by a car while at a bus stop in 2018.

Rodriguez told Denver7 she sustained a brain injury, ultimately losing her job and almost losing her home. She credits the Denver Basic Income Project with helping her get out of tough times.

"When I got, you know, the money, it was like a huge lift off of my shoulders from being in the situation that I was in," Rodriguez said. "I was in total survival mode."

The direct cash payments allowed Rodriguez to pay her rent and even help her children go on school trips.

"This income was like financial freedom," she said. "I was able to just provide the basic needs that the kids need."

Rodriguez is just one of the hundreds benefiting from the project and hopes funding for the remainder of Year 2 comes through for her family and others.

"I think it's, it's a huge impact for families," she said.

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