TORONTO — A single paragraph buried in the Ontario budget could mean big changes in the lives of some of the province's most impoverished residents by giving them a guaranteed minimum income.

Last month's provincial budget promised a pilot project to test "that a basic income could build on the success of minimum wage policies and increases in child benefits by providing more consistent and predictable support." The concept is on the radar of the federal Liberals, too — a Liberal-dominated parliamentary committee called on the Trudeau government to explore the concept of guaranteeing people a minimum income in a pre-budget report tabled Friday. Charles Sousa, Ontario's finance minister, said the province has not decided which community will be the test site for a basic income guarantee. "It's something that many people seem to have an interest in us testing out, so we're looking at something in the fall," he said. "Other jurisdictions are using it, and I want to see if it makes sense for us, so it's important for us to pilot, to test it out, and see what happens."

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne, left, and provincial Finance Minister Charles Sousa. (Canadian Press photo) Proponents say a guaranteed minimum income, which would see families living below the poverty line topped up to a set level, would be more efficient and less costly than administering the existing series of social programs that help low-income residents. They also say poverty is one of the biggest determinants of health, and a guaranteed minimum income could mean reduced health-care costs. "Poverty costs us all. It expands health-care costs, policing burdens and depresses the economy," Sen. Art Eggleton said last month as he called for a national pilot project of a basic income guarantee. About nine per cent of Canadians live in poverty, but the numbers are much higher for single mothers and indigenous communities.