High Times

The “what if they spend it all on drugs?” argument has been at the center of welfare debates for years. By early 2025, more than 160 guaranteed income programs had launched across the U.S., giving people in crisis direct support with no strings attached.

The results:

📌 Oregon: 94% of participants ended up in stable housing.
📌 New York City: 92% said the payments helped them secure housing.
📌 Washington State: 93% avoided returning to homelessness.
📌 Chelsea, MA: substance-use-related ER visits dropped by 87%.

The Frank Gallagher Thesis Shaped Welfare For Decades. The Data Just Demolished It. | High Times For decades, policymakers have operated on a simple assumption: give poor people cash, and they’ll spend it on drugs. A growing body of evidence disagrees.