Guaranteed income programs may reduce food insecurity and improve nutrition among low-income Black households in Georgia, according to a new study led by the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis.
The study evaluated the “In Her Hands” pilot program, launched in 2022, which provided $20,400 over two years to 654 randomly selected low-income women in three majority-Black Georgia communities. Participants reported higher household food security and better diet quality than women who did not receive the payments.
Stephen Roll, assistant professor and research director at the Brown School’s Center for Social Development and the study’s lead author, said 40% of the women in the program reported high or marginal food security, compared with 14% of women in the comparison group. The findings were published Feb. 2, 2026, in Health Affairs. Co-authors include Laura Brugger, assistant research professor at the Brown School.
Researchers analyzed two years of survey data and observed improvements in household food security, nutrition security, and perceived control over diet among participants. They noted that benefits grew over the second year of the program, suggesting the positive effects of guaranteed income increase over time.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, food insecurity disproportionately affects Black and Hispanic households, low-income families, and single-parent households, particularly in the South. In 2023, the USDA reported that about 13.5% of U.S. households were food insecure. Inadequate nutrition is linked to chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.
While federal programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the National School Lunch Program aim to alleviate food insecurity, structural barriers such as work-reporting requirements can limit participation, particularly for Black families. Guaranteed income programs offer a more direct approach, providing regular, unconditional cash transfers that allow households to make choices about food, housing, and other basic needs.
“These findings suggest that when provided with additional financial resources, households are able to better meet food preferences, increase the variety of foods eaten, and reduce worry about meeting nutritional needs,” the researchers wrote.
Guaranteed income programs have gained attention in recent years as a tool to address economic and racial disparities. Early U.S. pilots, including the Stockton Economic Empowerment Demonstration in California and the Magnolia Mother’s Trust in Mississippi, have reported improvements in participants’ mental health, financial security, and access to food.