Project Community Connections, Inc Launches in Atlanta Basic Income Pilot Targeting Homelessness Launches in Atlanta

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    Project Community Connections, Inc. (PCCI) launched a new cash transfer pilot program centered in the Atlanta, GA area that targets individuals experiencing homelessness. The pilot, which launched in late 2022, provides an unconditional $400 a month to 150 individuals experiencing homelessness for 12 months. Participants also receive caseworker support, as well as rent and utility assistance. PCCI is unique in its design and implementation, employing a fully randomized control trial (RCT) targeting homelessness to evaluate the effect of a basic income on homeless individuals. There is little knowledge of how unconditional cash assistance affects the outcomes of individuals experiencing homelessness, and PCCI aims to be at the forefront of such research. The Denver Basic Income Project launched a similar program, targeting those experiencing homelessness in Denver, CO that uses different payment amounts among its treatment groups. 

    The research will consist of a mixed methods design that will utilize participants' surveys, administrative program data, spending data, and focus groups with participants and case managers to discover how the payment affects outcomes. A control group will receive services, without the monthly payment. The research will be completed by two co-principal investigators. Dr. Leah Hamilton, MSW, Ph.D. an Associate Professor of Social Work at Appalachian State University, Senior Fellow at the Jain Family Institute, and faculty Affiliate at the Social Policy Institute of Washington University. She specializes in social welfare policy, economic justice, and basic income research. Dr. Stephen Roll, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Research and Associate Director of Research at the Social Policy Institute at Washington University. His research centers on issues related to consumer finance programs and policies, specifically the ways in which nonprofit and public programs impact financial behaviors.

    The pilot is set to conclude in 2025, with an annual report of data to be released each year. The findings from the first year of the pilot are set to be released in June 2023. 


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