It's investment in people who build strong communities. Austerity only creates a reduced turnover. The velocity is decreasing, as the economists say. It affects everyone. Both low and high income earners.
In recent years various European governments have advocated severe cuts to deal with weak economies. The most blatant example of this is Greece. In Greece, school children have been forced to go hungry and pensions have been cut. The National Economist Stefan de Vylder says in SvD:
"Europe is developing towards its abyss if austerity continues"
It is both economically rational and humane to invest in people. We build society from joint efforts. We all depend on each other's work.