Bruce Grey Poverty Task Force Poverty Task Force

New Report Calls for Bold Action to Solve Ontario’s Housing Crisis

The United Way of Bruce Grey and Bruce Grey Poverty Task Force adds their support to the United Way Greater Toronto and the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada, which released a costed, delivery-ready plan to address affordable housing needs.

Ontario, Canada – Aug 13, 2025 — Ontario’s housing crisis is at a breaking point, but a new report, Built for Good: Delivering the Housing Ontario Needs, shows there is a clear, achievable path forward — if all levels of government, the non-profit sector, and private partners act now.

Developed by United Way Greater Toronto and the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada, with support from SHS, the report outlines an ambitious 10-year plan to ensure everyone in Ontario has access to safe, stable, and affordable housing.

The need is urgent across the province:

  • Over 805,000 deeply affordable housing units are required for low-income households by 2035, including 93,000 supportive housing units and 55,000 units for Indigenous households.
  • An additional 145,000 moderately affordable units are needed for moderate-income households.
  • 225,000 existing affordable homes must be acquired, repaired, and maintained to prevent further loss.

The plan is practical and cost-effective. It calls for:

  • $16.7 billion in investment by 2027.
  • $62.6 billion by 2030, combining upfront capital and ongoing subsidies.
  • Clear leadership, government coordination, and predictable funding to empower non-profit and co-op housing providers.

Why it matters:

The report stresses that housing is a public good and a shared responsibility. Without action, the crisis will worsen, costing billions in emergency shelters, healthcare, and lost productivity. By contrast, proactive investment will improve health, education, and economic outcomes for hundreds of thousands of Ontarians.

“The solutions are here, the expertise is here, and the time for action is now,” said Heather MacDonald, President & CEO of United Way Greater Toronto. “By scaling up non-profit and co-op housing, we can deliver lasting affordability and stability for generations.”

“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity,” said Tim Ross, CEO of the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada (Ontario Region). “With bold leadership and targeted investment, we can build the housing Ontario actually needs.”

The full Built for Good report is available here.

Local Data

In 2024, Bruce County reported spending $1.5 million on homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless. Housing-and-Homelessness-Plan-Progress-Report-2024-V4.pdf

In 2024, 2,272 households applying for community housing in Grey County were looking for deep affordable housing https://www.bgdisc.ca/post/grey-county-community-services-monthly-data-information-report

Locally over 3,000 households have applications into either Bruce and/or Grey County for deeply affordable community housing.

Applicants to the United Way Bruce Grey’s Utility Assistance Program have an average income of $22,500 demonstrating that households need deeply affordable housing due to low income.

“In 2024, homelessness affected 375 individuals in Grey County and 109 households in Bruce County, with a significant proportion experiencing chronic homelessness. Among them are children, youth, Indigenous community members, and seniors — a stark reminder that homelessness impacts people of all ages and backgrounds across our region.”

– Jill Umbach, Coordinator, Bruce Grey Poverty Task Force

“We cannot keep doing the same things and expect different results. In Bruce Grey, as across Ontario, the housing crisis is deepening despite decades of effort. This is the moment to change course — to invest in bold, proven solutions like non-profit and co-operative housing that deliver long-term affordability. If we continue with business as usual, we will continue to fail the people who need us most.”
— Francesca Dobbyn, Executive Director, United Way of Bruce Grey

For more information, or to set up an interview with:

UWBG Executive Director, Francesca Dobbyn, call (519) 376-1560 or email execdir@unitedwaybg.com

Bruce Grey Poverty Task Force, Jill Umbach, call (519) 377-9406 or email povertytaskforce@unitedwaybg.com

Bruce Grey Poverty Task Force Poverty Task Force

Press Release: Nothing Says “Love” Like Ending Poverty

13 February 2025

Bruce Grey Poverty Task Force Urges Provincial Candidates to Step Up

This Valentine’s Day, forget the chocolates and roses—what our community really needs is action on food insecurity and poverty! With 1 in 4 households struggling to afford food and 30.7% of Ontario’s children living in food-insecure homes, love means fighting for real solutions.

“Food banks are working overtime, but they shouldn’t be the backbone of our social safety net,” said Jill Umbach of the Bruce Grey Poverty Task Force. “If we really care about each other, let’s fix the root issues—because you can’t eat a Valentine’s Day card.”

Roses Are Red, Violets Are Blue, Food Banks Are Overwhelmed, And We Need Help Too

Last year, the Bruce Grey Poverty Task Force launched Income Solutions to Food Insecurity, a campaign advocating for sustainable, income-based solutions to hunger. It’s time to move beyond band-aid solutions and give our communities the stability they deserve.

What We’re Asking for (Besides More Chocolate)

The Poverty Task Force is calling on provincial candidates in an Open Letter to Provincial Candidates to put their money where their heart is by committing to:

  1. Strengthening Income Supports
    • Increase social assistance rates to reflect real living costs.
    • Stop using food banks as a replacement for proper income policies.
  2. Investing in Quality Jobs
    • Make sure workers earn a living wage.
    • Strengthen employment standards so people don’t have to work three jobs to survive.
    • Expand access to affordable childcare.
  3. Expanding Supportive and Transitional Housing
    • Invest in social and supportive housing, mental health services, and income supports.
    • Help people move from homelessness to stability—because home is where the heart is.

Candidates, Will You Be Our Valentine?

With the February 27 provincial election coming up, we’re putting candidates on the spot:

💘 Will you commit to real income solutions?
💘 Will you invest in long-term policies instead of temporary charity?

This Valentine’s Day, show some love to the people who need it most.

About the Bruce Grey Poverty Task Force

For over 12 years, the Bruce Grey Poverty Task Force has been advocating for policies that tackle poverty at its roots. We believe in love, dignity, and making sure everyone has enough to eat—because nothing kills the romance like an empty fridge.

To read our Open Letter and learn more go to: Poverty, Voting and Ontario Election – Bruce Grey Poverty Task Force

Vote with Your Heart

Voting is an act of love for your community. Visit https://www.elections.on.ca to check your voter registration and learn how to cast your vote in the February 27 election.

#votewithyourheart #incomesolutionstopoverty

Bruce Grey Poverty Task Force Poverty Task Force

Poverty Task Force/United Way Community Update #213

Dear Colleagues,

We are starting 2025 with an impactful series of meetings on Community Hubs in Grey Bruce. 

Colleen Seaman Trask’s presentation this Friday on OSHaRE will provide valuable insights into how community hubs can evolve and expand their services to meet a variety of needs. Grey Bruce Food Share, Supportive Outreach Services, Family Assist Market and other health clinics at OSHaRE are great examples of how a community hub can become a multi-faceted resource.

Our discussion will be on:

  1. The Evolution of Community Meal Programs: Highlighting how OSHaRE’s meal program started and transformed into a more comprehensive service that addresses food insecurity, health care access, and community connections.
  2. Partnerships and Collaboration: The role of partnerships with local organizations, food rescue, and volunteers in making these services sustainable and impactful. And how the OSHaRE model can be adapted or implemented in other areas of Grey Bruce.
  3. Sustainability Challenges: How OSHaRE has navigated the challenges of funding and resources. And what long-term sustainability challenges exist in meeting the diverse needs of the community.

Please join us for some insightful conversation! 

FOOD SECURITY

2024 was a rough year for many households.  We have seen a significant increase in the number of people accessing shelters, food banks, community meals and seeking financial assistance. Bruce Power distributed $300,000 to food banks this past year to support the need. It is important to upload your data to Food Bruce Grey to ensure that you are on the Bruce Power distribution list. 

  • OSHaRE: distributed 25,000 meals in the month of November and 23,000 in December 2024.  These monthly numbers still remain higher per month than pre-pandemic annual numbers.  A total of 197,128 meals in 2024. 
  • Meaford Food Bank: added 96 new households in 2024. 211 households were served food hampers in December 2024 and 256 children benefited from their Christmas Star shopping program. 
  • St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church: on average provide food hampers to 55 people weekly.  They saw a slight decline in December to 27 people/week. 
  • Grey Bruce Good Food Box: volunteers packed 17,878 boxes and 2,700 tokens were distributed across the region (note: not all December data is included) at 23 locations. 

Go to Food Bruce Grey to look at more data on Food Banks, Community Meal Programs and Food Rescue in 2024. https://www.foodbrucegrey.com/all-dashboards

HOUSING SECURITY 

AMO Municipalities Under Pressure Report: Ontario has seen a staggering increase in homelessness in recent years. For the first time, this report collected and analyzed data from all 47 consolidated municipal services managers in the province to fully illustrate the scope of the crisis. Report data demonstrates a systemic failure that extends beyond housing, reflecting deep gaps in healthcare, mental-health services, justice systems and more. Reports on Ontario’s Homelessness Crisis, Water and Wastewater Utility Feasibility | AMO

  • In 2024, 81,515 people experienced homelessness and 41,512 people experienced chronic homelessness in Ontario.
  • 17,000 permanent shelter beds exist in Ontario. 
  •  Without significant intervention, homelessness could more than triple by 2035, leaving up to 294,266 people without stable housing. 

In Grey County: 

  • Grey County is experiencing similar trends to other rural communities across the province. Locally, a point in time count in 2024 revealed 375 individuals experiencing homelessness in Grey County.  Of these individuals, 65 identify as Indigenous, 80 are children 15 and under, and 45 are youth ages 16-24. Adults account for 252 of the individuals and seniors (65+) 8. 253 of individuals are experiencing chronic homelessness.
  • Grey County also provides subsidized housing and maintains a housing waitlist. The waitlist has grown from 1,517 in 2022 to 2,230 in 2024.
  • In 2024, funding for housing and homelessness in Ontario was estimated at $4.1 billion. Of the three levels of government, 51.5% of was funded by municipalities. Grey County has invested $6.55 million since 2022 in homelessness support with projects including the purchase and renovation of a property in Owen Sound for supportive housing and the purchase of a former motel for short-term emergency shelter.
  • In 2023 Grey County partnered with CMHA to offer transitional, supportive housing to residents of Grey County who have experienced chronic homelessness.  The first participants of the program moved in December 2023 and since that time seven have graduated to permanent, stable housing with ongoing connection to CMHA supports.  This program offers opportunities to build skills and work on personal goals with the objective of being successful in maintaining permanent housing and ending the cycle of homelessness. 
  • Grey County took a major step in providing expanded short-term housing options with our acquisition of a 22-room motel in Owen Sound in February of 2024. This acquisition has allowed for reduced operating costs, improved access to staff and supports on site and a higher level of dignity for community members experiencing homelessness. This expansion of program services will allow for an increase of 5,600 nights of accommodations bringing the total capacity to 13,000 nights of short-term accommodations with the same level of operating funding. 
  • In addition to the 2 facilities, Grey County provides funding to Safe N Sound Grey Bruce to operate an overnight warming space for up to 18 individuals nightly. This provides a supportive environment with staff on site providing referrals to services, someone to talk to and refreshments. These spaces throughout the course of the winter support more than 3,000 nights of warmth to members of our community. 
  • Over the course of 2024, Grey County staff and community partners supported 176 households in exiting homelessness into stable accommodations, of those households 123 maintain those accommodations at the present time. 

The report notes the disparities of those facing homelessness in rural communities compared to cities including shelter capacity and affordable housing shortages, specialized supports, urban inflow pressures and transportation barriers. Without significant investment and coordination across all three levels of government, it will not be possible to scale up the infrastructure needed to create a system where homelessness is rare, brief, and non-recurring.   https://www.grey.ca/news/providing-grey-county-perspective-amo-municipalities-under-pressure-report

  • Safe N Sound Presentation to Council – County Council – November 28, 2024
  • The National Indigenous Women’s Housing Network and Women’s National Housing and Homelessness Network: launched “Mobilizing on the Right to Housing for Women and Gender-Diverse People in Canada: A Community Organizer’s Guide!”  The Guide mobilizes communities to contribute to Canada’s first-ever human rights-based review panel on homelessness for women and gender-diverse people. Download the resource   About Us — Gender Housing Justice

HEALTH EQUITY 

INCOME SECURITY

  • Tax Breaks: starting December 14th, 2024, the government has paused the GST & HST on groceries, kids’ clothes/toys, and other essentials. Those eligible for the rebate must be 18 years or older at the end of 2023; be a resident in Ontario on December 31, 2023; have filed their 2023 Income Tax and Benefit Return by December 31, 2024; and not be bankrupt or incarcerated in 2024. 
  • Disability Without Poverty Report: 1 in 3 people with disabilities living alone in Canada face poverty. Read the full Campaign 2000 report.   https://www.disabilitywithoutpoverty.ca/2024-disability-poverty-report-card/
  • Basic Income Guaranteed Forum Report:  was released after a national conference. The approach favoured in Canada is that of a basic income guarantee that takes other income into account and provides most help to those who need it most. Basic income is a strategic investment to improve wellbeing. It can tackle the polycrisis we are facing far more effectively than our current patchwork of programs.  BIG Success in the Making Doc – Eng + Fr
  • National Automatic Tax Filing Pilot Program:  83% of more than 2 million eligible Canadians filed their 2023 tax returns by phone, online or by mail using the agency Simple File services. Ottawa moving ahead on automatic tax filing. Here’s what to know – National | Globalnews.ca
  • Canada Pension Report: this Toronto case study shows too many people are not accessing OAS benefits they are eligible for and many of those people have English or French as a second language. https://www.wellesleyinstitute.com/publications/unclaimed-benefits/

TRANSPORTATION

TAMARACK PUBLIC WEBINARS

PUBLIC WEBINAR | From Policy to Practice: Advancing the National Poverty Reduction Strategy | January 22 | 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. ET | This webinar will explore what the Council heard from people across Canada in 2024, the federal government’s role in reducing poverty, as well as highlighting how communities – local organizations, collaboratives, associations and individual community members – can action this report.  WEBINAR | From Policy to Practice: Advancing the National Poverty Reduction Strategy

Cheers, Jill 

Bruce Grey Poverty Task Force Community Updates, Poverty Task Force

Poverty Task Force/United Way Community Update 212

Reconciliation begins with a commitment to truth-telling. However, the burden of truth telling should not be placed solely on the shoulders of survivors. Reconciliation requires institutions, governments and individuals to live up to their own responsibilities and complete/fulfill the TRC’s 94 Calls to Action.

The most recent Annual Report from the National Commission on Truth and Reconciliation reports that the voices of Residential School deniers are getting louder. The truth is that 699 Indian Day Schools were established and operated by the Canadian Government since the 1920’s, with an estimation of over 200,000 Indigenous children attending.

Seven of these schools were located in Bruce County – 4 in Nawash – Sydney Bay, Little Port Elgin, St. Mary’s Junior and St. Mary’s Senior School; and 3 in Saugeen – French Bay, Saugeen Village and Scotch Settlement.

We need to find more opportunities for truth telling.  Please read the full report here: 2024-NCTR-2023REPORT-LAYOUTS-FIN-WEB.pdf

FOOD INSECURITY

  • United Way, OSHaRE and Owen Sound The Salvation Army: have rung alarm bells saying that there will come a day when they won’t be able to keep up with the unsustainable rate of demand for free food. They are calling for income solutions such as the Guaranteed Basic Income.  Food banks and soup kitchens in Owen Sound struggle to meet growing demand | CTV NewsDemand for food charity skyrocketing
    • OSHaRE served 20,000 meals in September 2024; they provided 20,000 in all of 2020. 
    • OSHaRE served over 146,000 meals so far this year, the same as in all of last year. 
    • The Salvation Army Owen Sound is providing groceries to 1,300 clients/month, up 20% from last year alone.
    • The Salvation Army Owen Sound is providing over 30,000 lbs (13,610 kgs) of food to families each month. They have provided over $1.5 million of practical food assistance in one year to a community of 21,000 people. 
    • 125-130 families are attending the bi-weekly Family Assist Market.  
  • Food Affordability and Food Insecurity Report: was released by Grey Bruce Public Health and they are calling for income solutions to food insecurity.Food Affordability and Food Insecurity
    • Almost 1 in 5 Grey Bruce households struggle to purchase the food they need and are food insecure (18.3% averaged over 3 years). 
    • The report determined the cost of groceries for a family of four in Grey-Bruce in 2024 was $289 per week or $1,250 per month, representing a 1% increase from 2023. A single adult, meanwhile, must spend about $434 a month on food to meet Canada’s Food Guide recommendations, which is also a 1% increase from 2023. 
    • A full-time worker (40-hour week) earning minimum wage, which in Ontario is now $17.20 per hour, earns a gross monthly income of $2,752. 
    • Female-led single parent and lower income households are vulnerable to food insecurity. In 2022, 41.2% of households with children led by female lone parents were food-insecure.
    • In Meaford, a response to the report had Meaford Councillor Harley Greenfield state that municipalities are increasingly being drawn into these sorts of social issues, largely due to pressure from the public, but municipalities aren’t equipped to address social issues, as they have always been outside of the scope of a municipal council. The largest, and likely most important role that municipalities can take on in order to help to find solutions to the housing crisis, or the food insecurity crisis, or the opioid crisis, is that of an advocate by pressuring upper levels of government, who are supposed to oversee such issues, and who are equipped and funded for such problems. GBPH’s Report on Food Affordability Highlights What Many Already Know | The Meaford Independent
  • Parent Infant Feeding Support: a free virtual infant feeding support group starts up in Hanover (October 16th to December 4th) to support ALL families with food support.  They also offer free individual infant feeding support at the Family Health Team. 

HOUSING SECURITY

INCOME SECURITY

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Stay well, Jill