DENVER — Supporters and participants of the Denver Basic Income Project rallied at the state capitol and outside Denver's City and County Building on Wednesday, calling for more funding to continue and expand the program.
As Denver city leaders comb through Mayor Mike Johnston’s 2025 budget proposal, supporters of the project are asking city leaders for more support.
“We're asking for $1.7 million to complete the second year,” said Maria Sierra, a community engagement manager with the Denver Basic Income Project. “And we're also asking for money to extend the project for future cohorts so that we can replicate this on to the greater community and impact more cohorts."
The Denver Basic Income Project provides direct cash to people experiencing homelessness with no strings attached.
The project's founder, Denver entrepreneur, and philanthropist Mark Donovan spoke with Denver7 earlier this summer.
“I was seeing this growing wealth disparity and income disparities, and I wanted to find a way to give back,” Donovan said. “This is a group of people that are largely often overlooked, looked down upon, and not given the same opportunities.”
Critics of programs like this say they discourage people from working and make them more dependent on the government.
Michael Neil says he, too, was skeptical — until he saw the data.
“I’m a data guy,” Neil said. “Looking at the qualitative data, who was helped, how many were helped, and how many are now in stable housing, whatever that may look like for them is, I think, tells the story.”
Neil volunteers with the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition, one of several groups that make up the Denver Guaranteed Income Now! Coalition.
People with disabilities disproportionately experience homelessness, according to the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless.
The Denver Basic Income Project says 45% of participants found housing.
They also say participants reported fewer emergency room visits and hospital and jail stays.
They say the project saved taxpayers $590,000.
They say the results will improve if the city provides additional funding.
"Our results speak for themselves,” said Sierra. “We don’t understand why they’re not seeing that.”
Last year, the city provided $2 million for the program.
However, the program is not included in the mayor’s 2025 budget proposal.
Denver7 contacted the mayor’s office to ask why. His office released the following statement:
"Over the first year of Mayor Johnston's administration, we've worked around the clock to implement proven strategies to address unsheltered homelessness, resulting in the largest decrease in unsheltered homelessness on record thanks to the All In Mile High program. We are committed to using HOST's limited dollars for programs that efficiently help as many people as possible get and stay housed.
We are always interested in trying new innovative strategies to solve our toughest challenges, which is why we provided funding for Denver Basic Income Project's (DBIP) pilot program. Unfortunately, the data in the year-one report from the DBIP did not show a statistically significant difference in homelessness resolution between the groups that received large cash transfers and those who did not. Because the data showed limited results in the first year, HOST's proposed budget does not recommend funding in 2025 for this program."
The mayor’s budget proposal will likely undergo changes as the city council reviews it.
Last week, Johnston said next year’s budget will be tighter than in recent years as pandemic-era funding runs out and sales tax revenue softens.
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