Probably the most important problem for them to address is how to keep people out of poverty who don’t care if they’re in poverty—or don’t care enough to get themselves out of poverty.
Walmart has done more to fight poverty than any government program. When they get condemned it should be pointed out. I just wouldn’t want to work there.
The US poverty line is at the 80th percentile of world income (yes, PPP adjusted), and the US welfare system ensures most everyone is at least at that line.
When you can live better than 80% of everyone on the planet, and do so with little effort*, it’s pretty easy to choose to stay at that level. If you can achieve ownership of basics, cost of living can be very low and quite comfortable; if you can’t, welfare state will cover those basics (instead of working, one’s job becomes navigating the bureaucracy regularly).
Brutal truth: poverty comes in wildly disparate forms/causes, with some incapable of escaping poverty (addiction, mental problems, low IQ), some not caring to (addiction, lifestyle), and only some actually wanting to (circumstance, education). Ergo, can’t vs won’t vs will. Middle group needs incentive, and Progressives are doing all they can to disincentivize escape from poverty.
(* - heck, Progressives have enacted prohibitions against working at all if one cannot produce at least 80th percentile value.)