Denver Basic Income Project Is Booming

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The Denver Basic Income Project is the first major effort in the US to study the impact of providing guaranteed income to individuals who are unhoused, as a means of accelerating the path toward stability. I founded and seeded this initiative with $500,000 in Tesla gains. We have already raised an additional $3.3M on top of this to provide unconditional basic income to our unhoused neighbors in Denver, accompanied by a rigorous RCT (Randomized Control Trial) run by DU’s Center for Housing and Homelessness Research.

We don’t have to wait for the government to come in and fix things, as Tesla has shown in the automotive industry. We just need to offer better solutions. Direct cash is increasingly seen as one of the most effective ways to fight poverty and economic inequality.

We are hoping to take our program to 20 more cities in 2022 and 200 in 2023. We will need the help of the Tesla community and other high-net-worth individuals to make this happen. I have learned many things from Elon, and one of the most inspiring is that huge, unimaginable positive change is possible at a pace that most believe is impossible. Let’s not accept the status quo when it comes to poverty, homelessness, and economic injustice. The Tesla community can be leaders in this space as well, if we so choose.

UPDATE: This is the story of the Denver Basic Income Project. Our work is centered around building hope through basic income and empowering individuals experiencing homelessness to not just survive, but thrive. We are inspired and motivated by stories and experiences like the incredible ones featured in this video. A massive thank you to our participants, Michael, Jennifer, and Qween, for sharing their stories. A huge thank you to Dope Mom Life and Andrea Nordgren for their production of this video. Learn more and donate at denverbasicincomeproject.org

By Mark Patrick Donovan