The executive director of Low Income People Involvement is welcoming a few initiatives announced in Tuesday’s fall federal economic statement.

First, Ottawa will introduce an enhancement to child-benefit payments, so they start rising with the cost of living two years earlier than initially promised.

LIPI’s Lana Mitchell says anytime a government introduces a cost of living attachment to a program they’re taking it seriously, unlike other announcements in the past.

“We’ve seen where programs get introduced and then they lose their buying power and they’re not paid attention to in the future. It’s a one time political announcement and then they let it go. This is encouraging,” she says.

As well, Finance Minister Bill Morneau said they’re going to bolster the working income tax benefit, a refundable credit aimed at providing relief for low-income Canadians who have jobs and encouraging those who don’t to join the workforce.

Mitchell is pleased.

She says it’s more than necessary and definitely overdue.

“What’s the line that the government uses right now trying to make it to the middle class because there is a whole other sector in there. People who are left out of everything. So this is encouraging. I think this is fantastic,” she adds.

Mitchell also says there was a line about support for the national housing strategy and she likes that.

(File photo: The Peace Tower is seen on Parliament Hill in Ottawa .THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick)