The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU) says one in five households in its medical region don’t have enough money to buy healthy food.
Dr. Lisa Simon, Associate Medical Officer of Health, says inflation and lack of money available through social assistance are two of the reasons behind the worsening problem.
While the data compiled by SMDHU combines Simcoe County and the District of Muskoka, Simon does provide an example of an individual theoretical adult in Muskoka who receives $868 a month from Ontario Works. “By the time you pay simply for a bachelor apartment and basic nutritious food, you would have to use 162 percent of the income you received,” she explains.
When combining the data, it shows that single parents, specifically mothers, low-income individuals and families, and those who rent their homes rather than own are most at-risk locally.
Canada-wide, Simon cites a 2023 report by Statistics Canada that says household food insecurity is currently at the highest rate it has ever been in the 17 years it has been monitored.
Simon’s interview with the MyMuskokaNow.com newsroom comes about a week before SMDHU plans to release its annual Nutritious Food Basket survey results.
The 2022 report said, at the time, it was “nearly impossible” for some within SMDHU’s medical region to afford basic healthy food.
According to Simon, there hasn’t been a positive swing in the 12 months since the report was published.
“We’ve always had an element of food insecurity in society,” she says.
However, the issue is not a straight line. Simon explains it can go up and down and is mostly based on one thing: money.
In the past few years, Simon says reliance on food banks and charitable donations has “grown rapidly.” She points out that the programs are designed to bridge the gap for people who need basic necessities right away, not to solve the overarching issue of food insecurity.
“The long-term solution to addressing food insecurity is money,” says Simon. “People need stable access to enough money to meet their needs.”
That, she continues, is where the health unit comes into play.
While they have partnerships with food banks, other not-for-profits, and municipalities, Simon says SMDHU does not work with individuals to address their food needs.
She explains they collect data, like what is detailed in the annual Nutritious Food Basket survey, and advocate to the provincial and federal government for more funding for social assistance programs.
While health units like SMDHU are at the forefront of advocacy, Simon asks others to reach out to their provincial and federal representatives or, if possible, support not-for-profits in your area that support those dealing with food insecurity.
