Today, Creatives Rebuild New York (CRNY) released a report summarizing initial results from its unprecedented experiment providing guaranteed income to artists throughout New York State. For 18 months, 2,400 artists living and working in New York State received no-strings-attached payments of $1,000 per month, and preliminary data shows that this money helped artists achieve more secure financial standing, develop their artistic careers, and prioritize their mental health and caregiving duties.

“New York State is the cultural capital of the world, but the increasingly high costs of living and the disruption of the pandemic have pushed many of our artists to the edge of financial ruin,” said Sarah Calderón, Executive Director of CRNY. “The arts contribute billions of dollars to our state’s economy and make New York one of the most vibrant places to live, so it’s crucial that artists can afford to continue to live and work in New York. Study after study has proven that guaranteed income is an effective strategy to support low-income workers, and this research affirms that the same holds true for artists.” 

Some of the report’s main findings on the direct impact of guaranteed income for artists include: 

• 17% of GI expenditures were used for debt payments, while 16% were used for savings and investments.
• 15% of GI expenditures were used to cover major expenses like rent and utilities.
• Artists not only continued working but were also able to focus on their longer-term career development, leading to grants, residencies, workshops, and paid job opportunities in their field.
• Participants reported feeling down, depressed, or hopeless nearly every day at a 39% lower rate than those who did not receive GI payments.
• Participants who are also caregivers to a loved one reported feeling less stress than those who did not receive GI payments.

“This research highlights what many of our allies advocating for cash policy have already identified, that guaranteed income works,” said Maura Cuffie-Peterson, Director of Strategic Initiatives for the Guaranteed Income Program at CRNY. “We hope that these preliminary findings and the powerful stories from our artists will fuel the efforts of the advocates and policymakers working to realize guaranteed income for artists and for all.“

“Not to be hyperbolic, but Guaranteed Income literally saved my life,” shared one artist in CRNY’s program. “In 2022, I was behind on rent and bills despite working a full-time 9 to 5. With the added boost to my income, I was able to get ahead of my finances, build up savings, and thrive—instead of merely survive. Now I am inspired once more, instead of my mind worrying about finances.” 

This report is a compilation of preliminary research findings from the Guaranteed Income for Artists Impact Evaluation, led by a collaboration of scholars from Appalachian State University Family Economic Policy Lab, Indiana University Center for Cultural Affairs, New York University Cash Transfer Lab, and Washington University in St. Louis Social Policy Institute. Complete findings will be released as a series of final reports in December 2024.

CRNY published related research earlier this year, including Creatives Rebuild New York: Guaranteed Income for Artists Process Evaluation and Advance Guaranteed Income Now: Recommendations from Creatives Rebuild New York’s Guaranteed Income for Artists Working Group. 

Photo from the October 2023 Guaranteed Income Regional Gathering in Queens, New York.