🌍 Can Cash Transfers Reduce Homelessness? A Look at A Canadian Experiment

Thanks to a grant from Open Philanthropy, we are proud to be able to cover the cost of dinner for all attendees! 🥘

Join us for a thought-provoking conversation on a Canadian study that provided $7,500 cash transfers to homeless individuals and the powerful outcomes it generated. We'll explore the findings highlighted in a recent Vox article, discussing how this experiment challenges common misconceptions about homelessness and money management, and how we can apply these results in our own communities.

Vox article (please read beforehand)
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

Discussion questions
1. The "lump sum" theory put forward in the article suggests that smaller incremental donations may be less effective because they would only maintain a "survival mode". Have you ever encountered a situation where a lump sum of money made a significant difference in your life or someone else's where an incremental approach might not have?

2. The article talks about the societal cost savings by bringing these individuals out of poverty and the surprising cost of less proactive preventative approaches. How do you think your community would respond to a cash transfer program like the New Leaf Project? Would there be support for such an initiative, or would people be skeptical?

3. How do the findings of the New Leaf Project challenge or align with your previous perceptions of homeless individuals and their financial decision-making abilities?

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If you are less familiar with Effective Altruism we also encourage you to attend our "Intro to EA" meetups on the first Wednesday of each month!

Looking forward to meeting you!