Mayors for a Guaranteed Income, the City of Shreveport, and the United Way of Northwest Louisiana welcomed the release of independent data from Abt Global on the Shreveport Guaranteed Income Program (SGIP), showcasing higher levels of financial stability, greater food security, improved housing stability, increased time and space for parenting and an increased sense of personal agency.
The SGIP provided $660 a month to 110 single-parent families for 12 months. Initiated by former Mayor Adrian Perkins and administered by the City of Shreveport and United Way of Northwest Louisiana through the Shreveport Financial Empowerment Center, the initial six months of the SGIP were funded entirely by private donations and the remaining six months were funded entirely by the Caddo Parish Commission. Both recipients and people in the control group were randomly selected by researchers from qualified applicants.
Key findings include:
- Improved financial stability — SGIP parents were more likely to report their household financial situation as “managing,” and analysis of survey data shows that at midpoint, a greater percentage of SGIP parents were able to cover a $400 emergency expense, with 25 percent of recipients able to cover such an expense compared to 13 percent of control group members
- Increased food security — Survey findings show a significant and large improvement in food security among SGIP households. Despite the pilot occurring during the period of historically high inflation and rising food costs, SGIP participants are significantly more likely to be food secure at the end of the pilot compared with control group members, with 58 percent of SGIP participants reporting being food secure compared to 36 percent of control group members.
- Alleviated housing cost burden — About half of interviewed parents described using the guaranteed income to pay expenses related to housing, such as rent, utilities, or mortgages. While there were no statistically significant effects on housing status, researchers noted a pattern of smaller changes that, taken together, suggests participants might have had greater housing security while receiving guaranteed income. At mid-pilot, SGIP participants were 10 percentage points more likely to be renters, compared to the control group, and 2 percentage points more likely to be homeowners. Midway through the pilot, the guaranteed income led to a statistically significant reduction in mortgage defaults.
- Increased time and space for parenting — Guaranteed income also allowed parents to spend more time with their children and better attend to the physical health, mental health, and developmental needs of their children. About half of interviewed parents used guaranteed income to pay for enrichment activities such as sports or dance. Interviewed parents reported that the increased ability to meet their children’s needs with guaranteed income had a major effect on their parenting practices and children’s well-being.
- Health and wellbeing — Survey findings show a significant reduction of 7 percent at the end of the pilot on an index of household chaos for families receiving the guaranteed income. Survey data also show hints of improvements on indicators of parents’ agency and hope. While researchers do not find statistically significant effects, most interviewed parents describe having a “weight lifted” or having “a little of the pressure off my shoulders.” Guaranteed income might have helped SGIP parents increase their sense of mattering during the pilot, primarily through helping them meet their children’s needs and supporting their social network.
One guaranteed income recipient explained how the monthly cash payments helped her son by giving her more time at home, saying, “He was really acting out a lot during the time I was working two jobs. Mostly because I just wasn’t around enough. So, he doesn’t do that at all now because getting more attention. So, he’s not trying to seek that from school. He’s getting it at home.”
“In the face of significant economic challenges within our community, the Shreveport Mayor’s Guaranteed Income Program emerged as a beacon of hope and financial security for 110 families,” said Councilwoman for District A, Tabatha Taylor. “This initiative served as a powerful reminder that investing in the well-being of our community is not an act of charity; it is a fundamental step toward achieving equity and fostering prosperity for all residents. The results outlined in this report underscore the program’s potential to cultivate a more just and resilient community.”
“The Caddo Parish Commission is pleased to have partnered with the City of Shreveport on the MGI Program. The Commission is committed to seeking solutions to improve the quality of life for Caddo Parish residents, and this partnership demonstrates that commitment,” said Caddo Parish Commissioner Stormy Gage-Watts.
“United Way of Northwest Louisiana is committed to helping our communities thrive to build a stronger and more equitable region,” said Rashida Dawson, United Way of Northwest Louisiana Vice President of Financial Stability. “The guaranteed income is not a handout but a hand up for the single parents struggling to keep their heads above the water. The extra support they received ensures the well-being of their families and our community, as they often work the labor-intensive jobs that keep our economy moving.”
“Single parents are often put in the impossible position of being two places at once: working to pay the bills and showing up in the ways their children need them to,” said Michael D. Tubbs, founder of Mayors for a Guaranteed Income. “Guaranteed income is a way of saying that we see you and we trust you to use this financial support to be a better parent to your children. Nearly one dozen studies confirm that this is exactly what parents do with the extra cash, and it helps make families stronger.”
The Shreveport Guaranteed Income Program is affiliated with Mayors for a Guaranteed Income, a coalition of over 160 mayors and growing. The research findings from Shreveport build upon similar results from the mayor-led guaranteed income programs in Stockton, CA, Saint Paul, MN, Cambridge, MA, Paterson, NJ, Richmond, VA, Baltimore, MD and Los Angeles, CA, where researchers found increased employment, greater financial stability, more parent-child time, and a better level of overall well-being.
Read the full report on the Shreveport Guaranteed Income Program online at guaranteedincomeworks.org/data-from-shreveport.