EITC is too little too late. I agree that this is the job of the government, to make sure everyone has livable wages, but basing something on an optionally claimable tax credit which most low/moderate income people are only dimly aware of and gives you a net payment from the IRS doesn't help when the cost of living rises suddenly and you face the question of eviction.

In general the US government is very bad at handing out benefits to its population. The closest thing that it can do with consistency is task the IRS with debits and credits on a yearly basis, a task that hasn't changed in decades. Until the US gov't can get better at this kind of work, any benefit scheme is bound to fail.