An Ottawa Public Health report said inadequate access to food is a growing public health issue.
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A new report, which will be discussed at the Ottawa Board of Health meeting Monday, has found that the monthly cost of healthy eating in Ottawa for a family of four has risen by four per cent since last year, jumping from $1,196 to $1,244.
The data, collected through the annual Nutritious Food Basket survey, showed that there was also a 10 per cent increase from 2022, when the monthly cost was $1,129. The 2022 and 2023 numbers were adjusted by around $10 after an update by Health Canada on increased caloric requirements for certain population groups.
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The report, submitted by Ottawa Public Health’s medical officer of health Dr. Vera Etches, said that household food insecurity is “the inadequate or insecure access to food due to lack of money” and can impact physical and mental health in adults and children.
It said inadequate access to food is a growing public health issue, with almost a quarter (23.7 per cent) of households in Ottawa experiencing food insecurity in 2023. That’s a significant increase from 2022, when 14.8 per cent of households were dealing with the issue.
In 2023, a record high of almost 23 per cent of Canadians lived in a food-insecure household, up from 18.4 per cent in 2022. In Ontario, 24.5 per cent of people lived in a food-insecure household.
“OPH recognizes that food insecurity primarily impacts people who live in marginalizing conditions created by lower socioeconomic conditions,” the report said, noting that those impacted include households with single moms and children, 2SLBTQI+ individuals, newcomers, persons with disabilities, and racialized people.
The report said that “poverty is a root cause of household food insecurity” and that based on the Market Basket Measure, Canada’s official poverty measure, the poverty rate in Ottawa rose to 10.3 per cent in 2022, up from 6.2 per cent in 2020.
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At the same time, rental prices have also increased, the report noted.
Looking at the Nutritious Food Basket survey, the report said “results consistently show that individuals and households with incomes from low wage employment and social assistance supports cannot afford the basic cost of living, including nutritious food.”
“Many low-income households have little to no money remaining at the end of the month for necessities like childcare, transportation, medication, clothing, or dental care, after covering their rent and food expenses,” the report said.
The latest federal budget allocated $1 billion over five years to create a national school food program.
However, despite the high rates of food insecurity, the report found that food programs “are not the solution.”
“While this program will have a positive impact if fully implemented, with goals to improve health and learning among children and youth, as well as foster healthy eating environments, these programs cannot sustainably address food
insecurity for families,” it said.
The report also said that “only about 20 (per cent) of households experiencing severe food insecurity use the food bank.” Using 2019 data from the PROOF research project, it found that people would instead ask family and friends for help (59 per cent), miss bill payments (48 per cent) or seek assistance from organizations (30 per cent).
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To address household food insecurity, the report said it’s crucial to increase the incomes of low-income households. That can be done by providing a basic income for working-age adults, raising social assistance rates to reflect the cost of living and creating jobs with livable wages and benefits. It noted that while Ontario’s minimum wage rose to $17.20 per hour in October 2024, it’s still below the living wage of $21.95 per hour, calculated by the Ontario Living Wage Network.
To address food insecurity, the report said Ottawa Public Health is working to share its Nutritious Food Basket survey and food affordability results with the public, support community partners and “advance priorities” within Ottawa’s poverty reduction strategy.
“OPH staff will continue to monitor for policy and legislative opportunities for the Ottawa Board of Health to support provincial and federal policies and programs that provide for income-based solutions to address food insecurity,” the report said.
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