Photo: Tierra Mallorca | Unsplash
For the last six months, a San Francisco-based nonprofit that works with people experiencing homelessness tried a simple experiment: how much could giving someone a small income of $500 a month help? The nonprofit, Miracle Messages, pairs unhoused people with volunteer "buddies" who make weekly phone calls, texts, and offers of support. The volunteers realized that even small amounts of money could make a world of difference in these people’s lives. Inspired by a successful program in Vancouver that gave $7,000 in cash to homeless participants, Miracle Messages decided to try the same thing on a smaller scale. With a limited amount of money of $50,000, the nonprofit decided to give 15 people $500 per month over six months. Volunteers were asked to nominate people for support. With the caveat that the funds should not be spent on drugs or other illicit activity, participants could spend the money however they needed. Participants used the money on essentials like food, medication, and transportation. 64 percent said that the money helped reduce stress and worry about finances. And despite the relatively small amount of assistance, more than a third of the participants were able to move into housing.
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