Public Relief Board
Public relief in Aerla first stemmed from church organizations and charities, the Aerlan government created the Public Relief Board (Commonspeak: Puylik Rëlif Börd) to provide fiscal, nutritional, and housing aid to economically, physically, and mentally disadvantaged citizens.
Definition
The Board defines the "economically disadvantaged" as those living at least 125% of the poverty line (equatting to roughly Ƒ1200 a month). "Physically disadvantaged" is defined as those who posses a physical disability (missing ligament, deformed from birth, paralysis, etc.) that prevents one from finding or keeping employment. "Mentally disadvantaged" is defined as those who posses a posses a mental disability that prevents one from finding or keeping employment.
Aid
Nutritional
Nutritional aid is provided in the form of Ration Stamps that can be redeemed at local markets for product. Stamp packages are given out on a weekly basis via the mail. The package includes stamps good for:
- 2 loafs of bread
- 4 liter container of milk
- (x2) 4 liter container of water
- 50 grams of butter
- 100 grams of sugar
- 400 grams of rice
- One carton of eggs containing 12 eggs
Fiscal
Checks are written on a tier-based system dependent on the individual's income level
Housing
Construction of social housing projects began even before the Relief Board's inception. Most of these housing units are large apartment buildings, located mostly on the outskirts of major population centers. These housing units are often criticized for being neglected, run down, and infested with bugs and rats. It is often citied that these social housing districts have higher crime rates than the national average (this argument is both used for and against increases in funding for social housing).