RRU in the media: Tracy Smith-Carrier advocates for basic income
With record-high costs for rent and groceries, Canadas’s income assistance programs are falling short. Charitable organizations like food banks are expected to supplement the growing affordability gap, but unprecedented need has made it increasingly difficult for charity to meet demand.
In a panel interview with CBC Blue Sky, Humanitarian Studies Professor Tracy Smith-Carrier explains why it’s not sustainable to rely on charitable organizations to make up for insufficient income assistance. Smith-Carrier, the Canada Research Chair for Advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals, highlights guaranteed basic income as a policy solution that would support the overall health and well-being of Canadians.
Here is an excerpt from her interview:
“Food Banks Canada has noted a 99.97% increase from 2019 to 2024... It’s not sustainable and the reality is those programs do not actually meet people’s food needs. People don’t get out of poverty by using charitable programs and there’s a loss of dignity for people who do use them.”
“It costs a lot more money for [government] to address the consequences of these problems than dealing with them head-on. When I think about the federal budget that was just released, we’re planning on spending $82 billion on defense. In contrast, it would cost a net of $36 billion to ensure that everyone in the country is out of poverty. So, a fraction of the cost to ensure that everybody’s livelihoods are improved. We also see this in housing literature as well. It costs a lot more money to deal with the consequences of homelessness than it would be to ensure that everybody has a house.”