Grey Bruce Public Health and four other public health teams around southwestern Ontario are voicing concern about the growing number of households experiencing food insecurity.
According to Public Health Ontario, from 2021-22 to 2023-24, the percentage of households facing food insecurity rose from 15.5 per cent to 23.5 per cent in Grey Bruce.
Ontario public health units monitor food affordability by comparing the cost of food and rent to various household income scenarios. In 2024, these scenarios show 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, depending on location.
Household food insecurity is linked to poorer physical and mental health, higher risk of chronic disease and increased pressure on the health-care system. Among children and youth, it affects concentration, memory, mood and motor skills, making it harder to succeed in school.
“In Grey-Bruce and beyond, some households are forced to choose between food costs and meeting their other basic needs,” says Acting Medical Officer of Health at Grey Bruce Public Health Dr. Brittany Graham. “This can negatively impact health. Income-based solutions that address household food insecurity also support health and well-being.”
In June 2026, the Association of Local Public Health Agencies passed a resolution recommending that the Ontario government enhance the Ontario Works benefit, for example, by aligning the program’s earned income exemption with the higher earned income exemption for the Ontario Disability Support Program.