The COVID-19 outbreak in Canada has put a spotlight on economic inequalities that leave vulnerable communities to bear the economic brunt of the crisis. Thousands of low-income Torontonians are facing devastating job and wage losses, and the inability to pay essential bills. Many workers who previously had full-time contracts along with a benefits plan have lost valuable working hours and been moved to part-time status, thus losing their employee benefits. This has exacerbated a problem that had existed long before the outbreak of COVID-19

According to the Metcalf Foundation, in 2016 there were almost 170,000 working poor individuals in the Toronto CMA. This figure has been increasing steadily, rising exponentially during the past few months due to the coronavirus pandemic. A recent report from the Wellesley Institute states that 45 per cent of Ontarians earning $30,000 or less annually have no employerprovided health benefits and can’t afford to visit a dentist, even for emergency care. These members of our community are falling between the cracks.