NYC Is Giving Young Homeless People In The City $1,250 As Part Of New Study

Young New York City homeless people will be getting $1,250 each month for a study the city is conducting.

New York is putting $2.5 million behind an experiment called “Trust Youth Initiative,” which involves giving money to younger homeless people with no strings attached. According to the New York Post, the city wants to see what the people will do with the money and see if they will try to get jobs.

In a press release, the initiative’s organizers said the study would start with 40 people who 18 to 24 in age, “especially Black, Indigenous, Latinx and LGBTQ youth.” As a part of the study, the “rigorous evaluation” will then “compare the outcomes and experiences” of the study group with others getting smaller stipends and other services provided to the city’s homeless community, like access to shelters, City Hall said per the New York Post.

“The project’s flexible approach aims to improve young people’s stable housing and well-being by providing the means to afford the types of housing they choose and the supports to make investments in their own goals, education, and career development,” City Hall said in a release.

Chapin Hall created the study at the University of Chicago and Point Source Youth, which said: “direct cash transfer programs are supported by a vast international evidence base.”

“Contrary to common beliefs, studies show that cash transfers to people experiencing adversity do not result in money poorly spent, increased substance use, or reduced motivation to work,” they said in a press release. It continued: “Evaluations have found that recipients mostly spend cash assistance on basic needs, that the financial support has helped people engage in education and productive employment, and that these programs tend to reduce risky behaviors and negative health outcomes.”