New study gave $7,500 to 50 unhoused people.

Guess what?

"They did not spend more money on alcohol or drugs, contrary to what people believe, and instead they spent the money on rent, food, housing, transit, furniture, a used car, clothes. It's entirely the opposite of what people think they're going to do with the money."

Congrats to my UBC colleague Jiaying Zhao on this study.

#Unhoused #CashTransfers #UBC #IRES

https://bc.ctvnews.ca/a-b-c-study-gave-50-homeless-people-7-500-each-here-s-what-they-spent-it-on-1.6540030

A B.C. study gave 50 homeless people $7,500 each. Here's what they spent it on.

A new B.C.-based study undercuts the persistent stereotype that homeless people can't be trusted with cash, according to the lead researcher who says it also highlights a different way to respond to the crisis.

British Columbia
@hishamzerriffi Conservatives say “_some_ will abuse the system so therefore we shouldn’t help _anyone_”. It’s hard to argue that even if 5-10% of people abuse a program like this that we shouldn’t help the other 90-95% rise out of abject poverty out of some false sense of Puritanical ethics (aka spite).