Health Units in Southwestern Ontario Demand Action on Food Insecurity

Health units throughout southwestern Ontario are advocating for change, highlighting that food insecurity is leading to serious health issues for residents in the area.

A collaborative statement from the Middlesex-London Health Unit, Windsor-Essex County Health Unit, Southwestern Public Health, Grey Bruce Public Health, and Huron Perth Public Health emphasizes the need for better income support and social assistance rates, framing it as a public health concern.

“Overall, we’re finding roughly one in four [people across southwestern Ontario] aren’t able to afford both food and other expenses such as rent,” said Dr. Ninh Tran, the medical officer of health for Southwestern Public Health.

Food insecurity has been increasingly problematic across Canada for years, with food banks in southwestern Ontario struggling to keep up with demand. A person is deemed to be experiencing food insecurity when their income doesn’t stretch far enough to cover both food and essential living costs at once.

According to Monday’s joint statement, statistics from the health units reveal that in 2024, a single adult relying on social assistance from Ontario Works in southwestern Ontario cannot manage rent along with enough healthy food even when budgeting carefully and cooking at home.

The figures indicate that depending on their location, individuals in this situation face monthly shortfalls ranging from about $300 to around $860.

“Many people think about household food insecurity and believe budgeting or cooking skills can help mitigate it, but it’s truly an issue rooted in income and housing costs,” explained Dr. Tran.

Tran noted that those relying on Ontario Works face the largest gap between their income and food prices; however, he added that this problem extends beyond just those receiving social assistance.

Families with low or moderate incomes also struggle to afford sufficient nutritious food while managing bills and housing costs.

Serious health effects associated with food insecurity

Kendall Chambers, a registered dietician at Southwestern Public Health, pointed out that not having access to adequate nutritious food can lead to significant consequences which makes this a public health issue.

“What we see is severe impacts on physical and mental health, and this is throughout the life cycle,” Chambers stated.

“In adults we might see higher rates of diabetes or cardiovascular disease, impacts on mental health, higher likelihood of depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts. We also see those same things with children.”

Chambers mentioned that children facing food insecurity often have increased rates of chronic issues like asthma along with difficulties in concentration, memory and mood which can hinder their academic success.

She also noted that these impacts can have long-lasting effects depending on how long someone experiences food insecurity and at what age they are affected.

Health units propose income-based solutions

Jennifer Proulx serves as the director of family and community health as well as chief nursing officer for the Middlesex-London Health Unit.

Proulx indicated that approximately 194,000 people-or 31 percent-of individuals in London lack regular access to enough food. This number surpasses the average rate of around 25 percent for southern Ontario overall.

“What’s really important to understand is that food insecurity isn’t a personal failure and it is preventable,” Proulx remarked. “It can be addressed with income-based policies.”

That’s why the health units are urging the provincial government according to Proulx , to raise Ontario Works rates while aligning its earned income exemption with what’s offered through the Ontario Disability Support Program.

The Middlesex-London Health Unit office in London , Ont. (Isha Bhargava/CBC)

The statement released on Monday further calls on Ontario officials to better assist individuals transitioning off social aid into employment opportunities , along with enhancing income supports while implementing strategies aimed at reducing housing expenses.

They also emphasized that resolving these issues will require teamwork among all three levels of government.

“It’s really an income based solution that we’re looking for here ,” Proulx said. “People in our community are being forced into impossible choices between paying rent or putting enough food on their table. It’s not something they’re doing wrong.”

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