Huron Perth Public Health has released its latest report dubbed The Real Cost of Eating in Huron and Perth.
The report looked into the cost of groceries which showed locally, a family of four is spending $249 a week, or $1076 per month on food products alone.
The number does not factor in toiletries, personal care items or cleaning products.
The report also breaks down various scenarios and percentages of income spent on food.
One example looks into a family of four receiving Ontario Works in Huron-Perth who would need to spend 39% of their income on food to meet the recommendations in Canada’s Food guide.
“Not having enough money affects people’s ability to buy food. They often have to choose between paying rent, paying for utilities and buying food,” says Candace Cunningham, Registered Dietitian at HPPH. “What is very concerning is that when people can’t afford to buy enough food, they are more likely to have poorer health.”
The report also includes suggestions for addressing food insecurity. Since poverty is the root cause, the report identifies that solutions need to be income-based.
Solutions include:
- Implementing a Basic Income Guarantee
- Increasing social assistance and disability pension rates
- Implementing a Living Wage
- Increasing minimum wage
- Increasing investments for subsidized, affordable and stable housing
- Income protection for precarious employment and low wages
- Providing accessible and affordable child care
- Investing in affordable public transit