As a pandemic pauses operation of many businesses and factories, thousands, if not millions of people, are left unable to earn a living. For many, this threatens loss of their homes, whether rented or mortgaged. Home loss is not only a loss of shelter, it also affects the means to prepare meals — even given meagre means of buying food.
For some, unemployment insurance helps for a while; many do not qualify for even that. Governments announce billions in relief funds to help. Equitable distribution of such funds seems a daunting challenge. How is any of that going to get to the person unable to buy groceries next week? By the time these desperate reactions work through another bureaucracy, it will be too late for many.
Let something good come out of this pandemic. Now is the time to take a more direct approach to ensure that every Canadian has at least minimal quality of life in terms of food and shelter.
Accompanying climate change, more epidemics will come. A stable social support network will keep us prepared to meet such social challenges. By vouching safe adequate nutrition and shelter, a guaranteed basic income will foster a healthy society better able to withstand future challenges.
Thomy Nilsson,
Cornwall
