Household food insecurity rising across Southwestern Ontario: Public health units call for action

Amanda Nelson, Post Contributor

Public health units across the region are calling on all levels of government to address growing concerns about food insecurity in Ontario.

In a recent press release, they said the number of households struggling to afford basic needs, including food, is growing year over year.

In 2024, the release notes that one in four households in Southwestern Ontario experienced food insecurity, meaning they lacked reliable access to enough food due to financial challenges. Rising housing costs and the cost of living also force many families and individuals to choose between paying rent and purchasing food.

“Many residents are having to make difficult choices between paying for rent, utilities, medications, transportation, childcare, buying groceries, and other life expenses to make ends meet,” said public health nutritionist Shannon Edmonstone. “Some households are stretching food further than what is healthy by purchasing lower-cost food that may not meet their needs, skipping meals, or relying on emergency food programs for ongoing support.

Edmonstone also said the health unit continues to hear from community partners that they are seeing increased demand from a wide range of people, including employed people, seniors on fixed incomes, people with disabilities, unattached adults, and single-parent families.

Kristin Crane, United Way vice-president of community impact and research, agrees.

“The biggest chunk of a person’s income goes toward housing, whether that’s rent or mortgage payments,” she said. “As you’re seeing, both of those have risen quite sharply. Some of those costs have started to level off, although it has taken a bit longer in rural regions because we don’t see shifts in demand as significantly as urban centres.”

Public Health stresses that household food insecurity is linked to poorer physical and mental health, a higher risk of chronic disease and increased pressure on the health-care system. Among children and youth, it impacts concentration, memory, mood and motor skills, making it harder to succeed in school.

Many households are now relying on emergency food programs or facing impossible trade-offs, such as skipping meals. While many low- and modest-income households face challenges after covering housing and other essential costs, individuals on social assistance programs such as Ontario Works often cannot afford both rent and food, even with careful spending.

The Ontario Dietitians of Public Health also weighed in and said that, in order to address the root cause of household food insecurity — inadequate income — they propose increasing social assistance rates, including Ontario Works, improving income supports for low- and modest-income households, and improving policies that reduce the cost of housing and essential living expenses.

“We're seeing that the trend is moving in the wrong direction; both local and provincial data show that affordability has become increasingly challenging as food costs, housing, utilities, and other essentials continue to outpace many household incomes,” said Edmonstone.

Ontario public health units monitor food affordability by comparing food and rent costs across various household income scenarios. In 2024, these scenarios showed that a single adult receiving Ontario Works in Southwestern Ontario cannot afford both food and rent, facing a monthly deficit ranging from $301 to $859.

Edmonstone said that while long-term solutions would need to address affordable housing and other rising costs, increasing income support would have an immediate and meaningful impact for families across Ontario.

“We know that food insecurity is fundamentally an income issue,” said Edmonstone. “When people don't have enough money left after paying for housing and other essentials, affording nutritious food becomes very challenging. Improving income adequacy would provide greater stability and dignity, while allowing people to make food choices that reflect their health, culture, and family needs.”

Edmonstone also stressed the importance of addressing stigma when talking about food insecurity and said that household food insecurity is a serious but preventable public health issue. She said addressing it requires coordinated action at the municipal, provincial and federal levels.

“It's often viewed as a result of poor choice or a lack of budgeting, but more evidence is showing that it is driven by inadequate income and rising living costs,” she said. “More than half of food-insecure households rely on employment income and still struggle to afford essentials such as housing, transportation and child care.

The Ontario Dietitians of Public Health continue to advocate for communities across Southwestern Ontario and are calling on all levels of government to implement social and economic policies that address the root causes of household food insecurity and intentionally shift away from food-based responses toward income-based solutions.

“If we focus on economic conditions that make it difficult to meet basic needs, rather than individual behaviour, we can build greater understanding and support with meaningful solutions,” said Edmonstone.