An adult on social assistance in the City of Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton or Northumberland counties requires between 30 to 50 per cent of their income to purchase healthy food, according to a new food security study from the regions’ health unit.
On Thursday the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit released its 2022 Nutritious Food Basket Report, “Addressing Food Insecurity and Poverty in the County of Haliburton, City of Kawartha Lakes and Northumberland County.”
The extensive report highlights the cost of healthy eating for different household income scenarios, while also considering average monthly rent and the percentage of income required for rent, the cost of a nutritious food basket (60 healthy food items commonly purchased) and the percentage of income required to purchase healthy food.
The examples include:
Single adult on Ontario Works: With a monthly income of $863, the cost of a nutritious food basket is $397 — approximately 46 per cent of income. Average monthly rent for a one-bedroom: $1,259 in Northumberland, $950 in Haliburton County and $1,331 in Kawartha Lakes.
Single adult on Ontario Disability Support (ODSP): Monthly income of $1,309. Nutritious food basket $397 — approximately 30 per cent of income.
Single senior on Old Age Security/Guaranteed income: Monthly income of $1,885. Nutritious food basket is $285 — approximately 15 per cent of income.
Single parent on Ontario works with two children: Monthly income of $2,528. Nutritious food basket is $811 — approximately 32 per cent of income. Average monthly rent for a two-bedroom is $1,326 in Northumberland County, $2,200 in Haliburton County and $1,702 in the Kawarthas.
Family of four on Ontario Works: Monthly income of $2,760. Nutritious food basket is $1,103 — approximately 40 per cent of income. Average monthly rent for a three-bedroom is $1,559 in Northumberland, $2,500 in Haliburton and $2,290 in Kawartha Lakes.
Family of four (two adults, teen, child) on minimum wage: Monthly income of $3,973. Nutritious food basket is $1,103 — approximately 28 per cent of income.
Family of four (two adults, teen, child) median income: Monthly income of $9,323: Nutritious food bask is $1,103 — approximately 12 per cent of income.
The report also notes in 2020, based on Statistics Canada’s low-income measure after tax, the following were percentages of households considered low-income and struggling to pay for rent, bills and healthy food:
- Haliburton County: 12.9 per cent
- City of Kawartha Lakes: 10. 2 per cent
- Northumberland County: 8.7 per cent
“When families cannot afford the quality or amount of food they need to stay healthy, they are food insecure,” said Sarah Tsang, registered dietitian and health equity co-ordinator. “Many families do not have enough money left over to buy healthy food after paying for rent and utilities.”
Other key finds in the study include:
- 25.9 per cent of households living in rental housing are food insecure.
- 20 per cent of those who are food insecure use food banks or food charity programs.
- 63.1 per cent of Canadians relying on social assistance were food insecure.
- The 2022 living wage for all three regions is $19.05 per hour.
Tsang says the health unit continues to work with municipalities to educate community leaders and partners on the food insecurity and poverty issues that impact the ability to purchase healthy foods.
“Food banks were created to provide temporary relief and cannot address the issue of insufficient incomes, which is the root cause of poverty and food insecurity,” Tsang. “Reducing food insecurity will need to include income-based strategies such as increasing minimum wage to a living wage, improving employment standards, increasing social assistance rates that reflect the true costs of living, and providing a basic income guarantee in Canada.”
Food bank use
Kawartha Food Source says in 2022, it had 12,040 visits to its member food banks and served 1,000 households in the Kawarthas. The non-profit distribution centre includes eight food banks, six social service agencies and 21 schools.
In its recommendations to the 2023 Ontario budget, Kawartha Food Share notes that the most common reasons given for using its member food banks were “employment-related reasons and the high cost of housing, health, and food.”
“Children under 18 years of age made up 50 per cent of the total visits to our member food banks,” the report states. “Only six per cent of food bank visitors had postsecondary education.”
In Northumberland County, the county’s 2022 Feed the Change study reported that 4,482 individuals were served by food banks in the county in 2021. Of that total, 72 per cent were adults age 18 and older. Forty-six per cent of those served by food banks were single individuals, followed by 15 per cent each for single-parent families and two-parent families and 12 per cent were couples with no children.
For the primary source of income, 41 per cent of those accessing a food bank in Northumberland County received disability-related benefits.
More to come.
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