This thesis explores two related research questions concerning the Manitoba basic income experiment (Mincome). First, why did the experiment focus on the potential for labour market withdrawal in response to a guaranteed income? I place the history of the basic income idea in the context of the changing paradigm of knowledge and policy production beginning in the late-nineteenth century to show that incorporation into mainstream economic thought leads poverty and basic income researchers to focus narrowly on individual behaviour. Second, in response to the narrow focus on labour supply, I examine Mincome data and use a series of multiple regressions to explore the impact of a basic income on housing satisfaction. While the results are negative, the investigation highlights the importance of variegated knowledge production in the consideration of policy changes and outlines some areas in which future social experimenters might learn from Mincome and its U.S. variants.