CUC Releases Statement On Guaranteed Income – August 5, 2020
Poverty and economic instability have profound effects on the health, education, social engagement and inclusion, and future economic prospects of those who experience them. Poverty disproportionately affects children, women and racialized and marginalized communities including those with disabilities. In 2018, 8 percent of all children, and 1 in 4 children living in families with single mothers, were living in poverty.
The statistics are far worse for Indigenous communities. The Assembly of First Nations reported in 2019 the following statistics for children living in poverty: 47% of Status First Nation (53% for those living on reserve and 41% for those living off-reserve); 25% of Inuit children; 22% of Métis children; and 32% of non-status First Nations children.
As Unitarian Universalists, we believe that all Canadian residents, regardless of age, gender, ability or race, deserve to live with dignity. In our affluent country, no one should be forced to make choices between adequate housing, nutritious food, or medical needs.