What is Direct Cash Assistance?
Direct cash assistance is when organizations or government programs give money directly to people who need it — no strings attached.
Instead of providing specific services like food stamps or housing vouchers, direct cash assistance puts money in people’s hands and lets them decide how to use it. This might be a one-time payment or regular monthly amounts.
Why Cash?
All Coloradans need a stable economic foundation for their lives and families.
But the cost of living and rent have increased while wages have remained the same. Many Coloradans are living paycheck to paycheck, struggling to make ends meet.
Research shows direct cash assistance provides basic financial stability that builds security and gives participants the freedom to use the flexible income assistance to get better jobs, go back to school, and cover basic living expenses like housing, groceries, and paying off bills.
“Cash isn’t a handout, it’s infrastructure for equity and human dignity, and it matters because it restores choice and trust. In Colorado, research participants proved direct cash support helps people stabilize faster and reduce reliance on crisis systems.” – Hunter Ambrose, Cash for Coloradans Steering Committee Member
The evidence around the impact of cash assistance and guaranteed income is growing. Read more about studies at our Resource Hub.
Vision
We want to build a future where every person in Colorado has financial security and the freedom to pursue a life filled with dignity, opportunity, and choice. Our coalition is working to build a pathway where all individuals can thrive without fear of poverty or financial hardship. Through collaborative policy development, community organizing, and identifying sustainable funding for cash policies, we aim to make guaranteed income a foundational pillar in creating a more equitable and inclusive Colorado.
Coalition History
The Cash for Coloradan Coalition began as a community of practice in 2022, gathering community leaders, frontline organizations, policy partners, government officials, and others to learn about the power and potential of direct cash assistance.
After two years of co-learning and convening, it became clear that there was a need to move from learning into action, building a unified effort around advancing cash policies in Colorado. Since 2024, the Cash for Coloradans Coalition has existed to make cash assistance a foundational pillar in creating a more equitable and inclusive Colorado.
Coalition Priorities
- Advance fiscal reform to address current constraints on tax flexibility and revenue retention in Colorado
- Advance community-informed, new direct cash policies and guaranteed income programs at the state and local level
- Elevate evidence and data from existing direct cash policies and guaranteed income pilots and protect and preserve these efforts
- Cultivate champions and organize communities and partners to make the case for a guaranteed income to different audiences
- Advance narrative change and develop messaging to make the case for a guaranteed income to diverse audiences in Colorado
Principles and Shared Values
Our belief as a coalition is that cash assistance in Colorado:
- Should include a public investment component
- Should be structured as regular, periodic payments
- Should not be restricted in what payments can be used for
- Should minimize impact on access to benefit programs
- Should minimize administrative barriers and burdensome requirements
- Should be targeted to address systemic inequities
Colorado Wins in Funding & Legislation
Local, county, and state governments have a track record of providing Colorado families with direct cash assistance.
- Elevate Boulder: $3 million commitment from City of Boulder to provide a two-year guaranteed income to eligible Boulder residents.
- Denver Basic Income Project: $2 million commitment from City of Denver to provide a one-year basic income to individuals experiencing homelessness in Denver.
- Basic Cash Assistance for Households: $3 million commitment from City of Denver aimed at helping eligible Denver families who have been disproportionately and negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic through one-time direct cash assistance.
- Thriving Providers Project: Commitment from City of Boulder to provide 18-months of guaranteed income to supplement the wages of family, friend, and neighbor childcare providers.
- Left Behind Workers Fund: $31 million commitment from a half dozen local, county, and state governments to support emergency cash assistance for individuals impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but typically excluded from traditional assistance.