Guaranteed Income for Artists

Springboard’s Guaranteed Income Pilot for Artists is supporting 25 artists, culture bearers, and creative workers in Saint Paul’s Rondo/Frogtown neighborhoods with $500/month for 18 months.

SPENDING BREAKDOWN

The data in this pie chart shows aggregate spending for guaranteed income participants in St. Paul, MN (Springboard). This includes all non-cash expenditures from the participants’ pre-paid debit card that is loaded with guaranteed income payments monthly.

Retail sales and services accounted for the largest share of spending, at 37.01%, followed by Food and groceries (27.08%) and Housing & Utilities (12.76%).

CHILD TAX CREDIT

The state of Minnesota saw significant reduction in poverty as a result of the largest, national pilot in the Child Tax Credit that was implemented as a result of the Covid Pandemic.

This program provided tax credit for eligible taxpayers with qualifying children in the form of cash payouts. The credit amount varied based on factors like the number of qualifying children and the taxpayer’s income. It can lower tax liability or result in a tax refund.

During the course of this pilot, it has been proven to reduce poverty for families with dependent children – in every state.

Poverty Rate (Current Law)

6.8%

Poverty Rate (Under new tax credit)

2.4%

Percentage point reduction

4.4%

Percent change

64.8%

DEMOGRAPHICS

Basic Information

sample size (Treatment Group)

900

Avg. Age of Respondent (years)

Children in Households

Have Children in Household

1 %

No Children in Household

5 %

Avg. children in Household

Avg. Household size

Gender

Male

1 %

Female

5 %

Other

5 %

Ethnicity

Hispanic

1 %

Non-Hispanic

Race

White

1 %

African American

5 %

American Indian/ Alaska Native

5 %

Asian

1 %

Native Hawaiian/ Pacific Islander

5 %

Latino

5 %

Other/ Mixed

5 %

Marital Status

Single

5 %

Married

5 %

Partnered/ in-relationship

5 %

Primary language at Home

English

5 %

Spanish

5 %

Other

5 %

Annual Household Income (in $USD)

Mean

$ 14000

Median

$ 10800

Featured Story

Briauna

Artist Briauna created a coloring book to commemorate Saint Paul’s guaranteed income pilot that includes illustrations, self-care suggestions and a prosperity word find. “Art and coloring is therapeutic — you can relax and relieve stress. People who don’t have a lot of income don’t have time to relax and hone in on self-care a lot — at least, that is my experience. You feel like you’re sinking, drowning, stuff like that. So I made a coloring book with images that bring joy, remind you to take self-care, and [feel] gratitude.” “This pilot is very near and dear to me, because I’ve worked three jobs at one time before. I think that guaranteed income is probably preventing a lot of people from being homeless, or on the verge of it, or having to make tough decisions about food and basic necessities.[2] Going into my own mind frame here, it’s like, is this how life is supposed to be designed for us to live? Why are we all working? Why don’t we have gardens and sustainability and be able to have a simpler lifestyle? But since we are here, and this is the roles that we find ourselves in, I think [guaranteed income] just creates that environment of being free. Of feeling above water.”

DejaJoelle is a healing artist and cultural healing curator who was born and raised in the Rondo neighborhood of Saint Paul. “When I think about this program, I think about my family and the people in my community that actually need this, and I’m extremely grateful…We live in a world now where we feel like work is the thing. But it doesn’t really make any sense when we’re not taking care of ourselves or our families the way that we want to.[1] It’s a lie that we have to work ourselves to the bone to be successful, that we have to die in exhaustion. That our children don’t get to see us that much because we have to work two jobs. My project; our project; community’s project is to resist that narrative by doing the opposite. By actually resting. By taking deep breaths. By spending time with our children or telling our supervisors, ‘No, I cannot cover that shift.’ We deserve everything. Not some good, not a little bit of good, but all good. And we’re gonna get it without breaking our backs.”

Featured Story

DejaJoelle

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Kashimana

Originally from Nigeria, musician Kashimana created an album inspired by the city’s guaranteed income pilot.

“I’ve always thought guaranteed income is something that we should all have. Everybody in society deserves to be taken care of, no matter what circumstances we’re in, no matter where we find ourselves in life.[3] Taking care of each other and ourselves seems like the basic thing that we’re put on this earth to do.”

“That guaranteed income could allow — in my mind — people that have been stolen from to have some relief to get ahead, to be stable, to even have the income where people can pivot and change careers or go to school or pay for basic things like health care.”

Katey is a storyteller who created a physical postcard to be distributed around Saint Paul that featured a QR code linking to interviews with guaranteed income recipients.

“I’d like to change the idea of help as a bad thing. I originally wanted to do five different postcards for five different families, but then nobody wanted to be interviewed. I was pretty shocked at the amount of people who didn’t want it to be known that they’re in this program.

Most of the people I’ve told about this program are like, ‘Oh, it sounds great.’ But some people are like, ‘Well, why don’t they just get a job? I struggled and worked hard. These people should, too.’ But if we have resources available to help people, why should anyone have to struggle? [4] And why is it embarrassing? Why is it that help is looked at as a negative?

At one point, I was in that similar position, in the red in my bank account, wondering, ‘Another overdraft fee?’ — where $500 could have really changed something. I think a lot of people who think that this program is a negative thing don’t realize the amount of struggles that people have to go through, whether it’s medical bills, or transportation. Just normal things that people should be able to afford to live.”

Featured Story

Katey

Featured Story

Name

Story content goes here