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Dustin Luca
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SALEM, MASS. – Recipients of monthly $500 payments from the Uplift Salem guaranteed basic income pilot reported overwhelming gratitude and high praise for the program, crediting it with a broad array of impacts that range from being able to afford groceries to avoiding homelessness.
City officials and researchers with Salem State University’s North Shore Policy Lab and sociology department held a panel discussion on the Uplift Salem program at Salem State on Wednesday afternoon. At the panel, they outlined some of their findings from surveys and interviews conducted during the program and after it ended:
- Participants reported high levels of satisfaction with the program. For most participants, the impact of Uplift Salem exceeded their expectations relative to their overall quality of life, housing and health.
- A strong majority of participants self-reported that their participation in the program resulted in positive changes relative to:
- Overall life satisfaction
- A greater sense of control over finances and saving money for the future
- Self-efficacy related to setting and meeting goals, confidence and less worry
- Being able to pay for things that members of their family needs, and
- Participating more in their community
- Among respondents who are responsible for children under the age of 18, three-quarters reported spending more time with their children.
- As the program ended in November, 37% of respondents strongly agreed with the statement that they are better prepared to deal with unexpected challenges, which was 10% higher than in August.
- Participants overwhelmingly described the Uplift Salem program as a critical source of financial stability, housing security and emotional relief, with many emphasizing reduced stress, increased hope and an enhanced ability to care for their families and engage with their communities. Expressions of gratitude were widespread, and many respondents characterized the program as transformative or lifesaving, while noting a strong desire for the program to continue or be extended.
Feedback from final surveys captures impact of program
Open-ended survey responses collected in November as the program ended revealed several consistent themes regarding participant satisfaction with the Uplift Salem program and its perceived impacts:
- Financial stability and meeting basic needs
- Housing security and prevention of crisis
- Reduced stress and improved emotional well-being
- Strengthened family and community connections, and
- Desire for program continuation and additional support
The most frequently cited theme was the role of Uplift Salem in improving participants’ ability to meet their basic needs such as food, clothing, transportation, and monthly expenses. Multiple respondents described the monthly cash payments as a “lifesaver” that allowed them to purchase necessities without constant trade-offs or deprivation. Participants described the relief they felt being able to shop without fear of running out of money or having to put items back at checkout.
One respondent reported, “I didn't have to put food back down at the store. I was able to just put it into the shopping cart and pay for it.” One participant noted that the program allowed them to “get things we needed that I couldn't afford before,” while another shared that the assistance helped them buy “extra food to cook for myself and some friends,” highlighting the program's impact not only on material relief, but also social connection and generosity. Several Spanish-language responses echoed these sentiments, with participants describing the ability to buy food and clothing for their children and expressing gratitude for the economic stability the program provided.
A second prominent theme centered on housing stability and the prevention of homelessness or housing loss. Multiple respondents explicitly stated that Uplift Salem enabled them to maintain rent, secure housing or avoid homelessness during the program period. For participants living on extremely limited incomes, the guaranteed cash payments were described as essential to survival. One respondent shared, “I was facing homelessness and this program saved me from that,” while another explained that the program allowed them to “get a roof over my head and maintain the rent.”
Participants frequently described improvements in emotional well-being, including reduced stress, increased peace of mind and renewed hope for the future. Many respondents emphasized the psychological relief that came from not having to worry constantly about finances. This reduction in stress allowed participants to focus on other aspects of their lives such as education, addiction recovery, health, and personal goals.
Another key theme was the positive impact of Uplift Salem on family relationships and community engagement. Participants frequently described using the funds to support their children, partners and extended family members. Parents and caregivers expressed gratitude for being able to provide a more stable and comfortable life for their children, with one participant noting that the program helped them offer their children “una vida tranquila y estable este año” (i.e. “a calm and stable life this year”).
Some respondents also described feeling more connected to their community because of the program. Examples included sharing meals with friends, helping others with transportation and contributing in small but meaningful ways to those around them. These narratives suggest that the financial security provided through Uplift Salem enabled participants to not only meet their own needs but also engage more fully in social and community life. These findings also provide evidence that the benefits of the program extend beyond the 100 direct participants, generating positive spillover effects within the wider Salem community.
Statements from officials
“The data from the SSU research partners demonstrated that programs like Uplift Salem provide a broad community benefit: When neighbors have more consistent access to supports like healthcare, childcare and transportation, it improves the community overall,” said Salem Mayor Dominick Pangallo. “It increases employment, strengthens our economy and helps children thrive in school. These are investments in the integrity and strength of our community as a whole.”
“One thing we saw again and again in this pilot was that when people are living in chronic poverty, the persistent needs of getting through the day make it incredibly difficult to focus on your own needs,” said Sarah Roy, director of the Salem Children’s Alliance and team lead on Uplift Salem. “When people have a little breathing room, they say, ‘I can use this to make choices for me—to get a bus ticket or get my car repaired, so I can go to the grocery store.’ That ember of hope has a huge impact on everything—the economy, health care, childcare, domestic violence support.”
“Uplift Salem was the flagship project of the North Shore Policy Lab as we started it last year,” said Thomas Pineros Shields, a politics, policy, and international relations associate professor at Salem State who leads the Lab. “We formed a group of students trained in applied policy research in the fall who are now carrying out this analysis. Their final review will be done in May.”
“This project was an important opportunity to both support our most vulnerable community members and help our students learn about the real-world impact of social science research,” said Sara Moore, chairperson of Salem State’s sociology department. “Moreover, as a Salem resident, I'm proud to be part of a community that embraces innovative policy approaches like direct-cash benefits.”