Health Unit Calls for Higher Social Assistance Rates Due to Food Insecurity

NEWS RELEASE

NORTH BAY, ON – The North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit (Health Unit) has released the 2022 Cost of Eating Well Report (report), and with the support of the Board of Health, is asking the Province of Ontario for policy action. The Board of Health passed a series of motions calling on the Province to increase social assistance rates, and revisit the basic income program.

Food insecurity means a household does not have enough money to buy food. It can range from worrying about running out of food, to filling up on cheaper, less nutritious foods, to skipping meals or going without eating. Poverty is the root cause of food insecurity. Most recent estimates show that about 1 in 6 households in Ontario experience food insecurity, and 1 in 5 children live in a food insecure household. Experiencing food insecurity is associated with a higher risk of developing many physical and mental health problems.

The report shows that for a local family of four, it costs about $1,125 a month to eat according to Canada’s Food Guide. For households receiving social assistance, including Ontario Works (OW) and the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), the financial situation is dire. After paying for food and rent there may not be enough money left for necessities such as heat, hydro, transportation, telephone, and other living expenses. Sixty-seven per cent of households with social assistance as their main income experience food insecurity in Ontario.

Government income-based policies can reduce food insecurity by providing low-income households with more money for their basic necessities, including food.

Because food insecurity is an income problem, it only tells part of the story. Households who struggle to pay for food also struggle to pay for the other costs of living. They spend less on food and the other costs of living such as housing and transportation than households that are food secure.

To learn more about food insecurity, review the report or learn what you can do, visit myhealthunit.ca/FoodInsecurity.

Quick facts:

• A single person receiving Ontario Works does not have enough money monthly to pay for rent and food, or the other costs of living.
• The Health Unit monitors food affordability using the Nutritious Food Basket. Twelve grocery stores in our district are surveyed to determine the cost of eating according to Canada’s Food Guide. Local rent rates and household income scenarios are then factored in to determine food affordability.

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Media Inquiries:

Alex McDermid, Public Relations Specialist
P: 705-474-1400, ext. 5221 or 1-800-563-2808
E: communications@healthunit.ca