Elections are Turning Points to make change, but we must also demand action in-between elections. The Bruce Grey Poverty Task Force has recently submitted its comments on the Ontario Poverty Reduction Strategy (2025-2030) in partnership with the United Ways of Ontario and in partnership with Maytree Open Letter on Ontario’s Poverty Reduction Strategy with Maytree.
In Bruce and Grey Counties, poverty is not an abstract policy issue—it is a daily reality for thousands of residents who face rising living costs, stagnant incomes, and chronic housing shortages. As rural regions with aging infrastructure, limited transportation options, and a rapidly rising cost of living, Bruce and Grey Counties are experiencing poverty at levels far above what a prosperous province should accept. A bold, data-driven strategy is urgently needed.
Poverty in Ontario has risen significantly since 2020, and local conditions mirror—and often exceed—provincial trends. The number of residents unable to meet basic needs has accelerated sharply, particularly among groups facing systemic inequities, including Indigenous residents, lone-parent households, youth, newcomers, and people living with disabilities.
In Grey County alone, one in four children now lives in poverty, while Bruce County continues to see some of the highest child-care-cost-to-income ratios in rural Ontario, limiting parents’ ability to work or pursue training.
A new Ontario Poverty Reduction Strategy offers a critical opportunity to address the structural conditions that pull people into poverty—and trap them there—while strengthening the social and economic foundations of rural communities like ours.
The Bruce Grey Poverty Task Force and our United Way partners stand ready to support a community-informed, evidence-based provincial strategy that ensures everyone can live with dignity, access safe and affordable housing, secure stable employment, and receive the supports necessary to thrive.
The Government of Ontario can meaningfully alleviate poverty and build the social and economic infrastructure needed for the future prosperity of the province by:
- Laying the groundwork for financial security, good jobs and strong rural economies
- Getting people housed and keeping them housed by expanding non-market affordable housing, investing in supportive housing, and strengthening renter and tenant protections
- Ensuring the sustainability of Ontario’s community services infrastructure to continue delivering the critical services that meet the unique needs of communities across the province
With food insecurity deepening, housing unaffordability surging, and income inequality rising, we must demand real, systemic change.
The Bruce Grey Poverty Task Force mobilizes our communities to put poverty, housing, food insecurity, health equity, and justice at the top of the political agenda.
What We’re Fighting For:
Income Security
- Support a Guaranteed Livable Income for all Canadians.
- Raise social assistance rates above the poverty line.
- Protect and expand refundable tax credits.
Housing as a Human Right
- Enforce the Right to Housing Act.
- Fund safe, affordable, climate-resilient housing.
- End chronic homelessness in rural and urban areas.
Food Security
- Recognize food insecurity as an income issue — not a charity problem.
- Fully fund income-based food policy solutions.
- Back the No More Scraps campaign from Community Food Centres Canada.
Healthcare and Oral Health Access
- Defend and expand the Canadian Dental Care Plan.
- Guarantee access to public health programs for all — regardless of income.
Take Action Today
Ask Your Elected Officials the Tough Questions
Hold them accountable:
- Will you commit to a guaranteed livable income?
- What’s your plan to end homelessness in our riding?
- How will you tackle food insecurity through income policy?
Read More about National Anti-Poverty Campaigns
🔹 Assembly of First Nations – Priorities for Indigenous Voters
🔹 Canadian Public Health Association – Health Equity Factsheets
🔹 National Right to Housing Network – Housing as a Human Right
🔹 Community Food Centres Canada – No More Scraps Campaign
🔹 Food Secure Canada – Eat Think Vote Campaign
🔹 Canadian Dental Care Plan – Learn More
Local Data: The Reality in Grey-Bruce
- 375 people are homeless in Grey and Bruce County (2024)
- 2,230 households on a housing waitlist (up from 1,517 in 2022)
- Childcare access remains a barrier for over 60% of local parents
📄 Read: “Knowing Our Numbers” Report – Bruce & Grey
Join our Efforts
Together, we can ensure our political leaders hold up dignity, justice, and equity for all. 🔗 Contact us to get involved or let us know what you’re doing in your community.