B-MINCOME: guaranteed minimum income & active social policies in deprived urban areas

B-MINCOME effectively improves the well-being of families in socially excluded and deprived areas by combining minimum income guarantees with inclusion policies.

COMBATING POVERTY AND SOCIAL EXCLUSION

Following the economic crisis of 2008, B-MINCOME aims to reduce poverty and combat social exclusion among 1,000 families living in the Eix Besòs - ten of the most deprived neighbourhoods located in the north-east of Barcelona - and to develop better welfare services. B-MINCOME also represented a reaction to insufficient state and regional government policies to fight poverty and a will to create an urban social model that's better able to tackle such issues. 

MINIMUM INCOME AND INCLUSION

This project uses experimental methodology to test the effectiveness and efficiency of combining different minimum income guarantee schemes with active inclusion policies - training and employment, social entrepreneurship, housing renovations for renting rooms, and community participation - over two year. The ecosystem created by combining these policies aims to help participating households cover their basic needs, acquiring greater autonomy and decision-making capacity over the course of their lives. 

IMPROVED WELL-BEING

B-MINCOME effectively improves the well-being of families and their perception of their economic situation, reducing material deprivation, as well as improving sleep quality and reducing the stress associated with food insecurity. It reduced the probability of asking family or friends for loans, while increasing community participation and the sense of belonging in their neighbourhood. This intervention activated a new role between social workers and service users and contributes to the unification of municipal benefits.