We need solutions to food insecurity that keep everyone ahead of the rising cost of living. Between summer 2021 and late 2022, the share of Canadians having difficulty affording their basic expenses increased from 19% to 35%.
Investing in building and maintaining social housing and improving tenant protections helps relieve financial pressures.
Read more about what is a Living Wage in Grey Bruce at: Living Wage – Bruce Grey Poverty Task Force
Incremental, unpredictable, small bumps to social assistance rates are not going to bring social assistance incomes anywhere close to a liveable rate.
The longer people living on social assistance rates are forced to wait for rate increases, the more they will be forced to suffer food insecurity, ill health effects, housing precarity, risk of abuse, and increased vulnerability to violence.
Send the letter to your MPP and let them know that you support doubling the rates. Double OW and ODSP Rates Now! – Income Security Advocacy Centre
Provincial and federal governments have multiple policy options to ensure people can afford basic needs like food and rent. Starting with repairing our social safety net.
A guaranteed livable basic income, indexing social support to inflation and reducing clawbacks, income tax changes that enhance credits for low-income households can all contribute to an income floor sufficient for affording basic needs like food and rent.
Stagnant or precarious incomes combined with rising costs of living are a recipe for food insecurity.
Having a job is not enough to protect families from food insecurity and poverty. Grey Bruce’s 2023 Living Wage is $22.75 – well above minimum wage. Living Wage – Bruce Grey Poverty Task Force
Action that improves job quality and opportunities and ensures a Guaranteed Livable Basic Income is needed to counter institutionalized food insecurity.
Join the Basic Income Network to learn more at: Home – Basic Income Canada Network
