The interesting part of simulation genres is finding out what you need to change to make it fun.

What makes a simulation game fun varies per game. Stardew Valley could be described as a boring loop. EVE Online just yesterday made fans happy by getting official Microsoft Excel support.

The key seems to be to have a particular hook and perspective.

So, for a poverty simulator, you could embrace hustle culture and have people race to exploit loopholes in systems to maximize return.

Alternatively, you could take a radical approach at start with the crush of poverty and embrace it something like a rogue-like where you will probably always lose, but this time maybe you get a little further. Whether you want to embrace it ridiculously like Binding of Isaac embraced evangelical childhood abuse or be something else works.

Also worth remembering Papers, Please as a good example of a simulation making something "not fun" fun.