At least one in five families in Chatham-Kent suffer through food insecurity, and the board of health is lobbying the premier to support basic income guarantee legislation.
Dr. Shanker Nesathurai, medical officer of health for Chatham-Kent, said one’s finances are directly tied to one’s health.
“Poverty is adverse to individuals, families and communities in terms of health,” he said. “Addressing poverty is one lever we can pull when advancing health in our communities.”
Sharmini Balakrishnan, public health nutritionist, said food insecurity is “when people worry about running out of food or they compromise the nutritious quality of the food.”
Having to choose between paying the rent, keeping the heat on, or eating nutrition-rich meals leaves people short.
Nesathurai said poverty is, as a result, heavily tied to one’s health. And it can go beyond food.
“It’s also about social disadvantage. Poverty is associated with inadequate opportunities for education, access to housing, and health care,” he said. “Inadequate income affects life expectancy, and we see higher incidents of diabetes and heart disease.”
He added statistics also indicate higher incidents of infant mortality, poor mental health, increased chance of cancer, and even asthma.
“Poverty leads to family stress,” he said. “Poor health can lead to poverty just as poverty can lead to poor health.”
Nesathurai said Public Health officials want people to experience wellness.
“Our goal at Public Health is not just for people to survive. Our goal is for people to thrive,” he said.
Balakrishnan said the system is letting people down.
“Current social assistance programs are inadequate,” she said, adding food banks are not the answer over the long haul. “Food-based programs are not a long-term solution for food insecurity.”
Public Health personnel surveyed six different grocery stores across Chatham-Kent in 2024 to see how much it costs to put healthy food on the table.
For a family of four, that number was $1,147per month. A single parent with two children would need $853, and a single adult would require $402, according to health officials.
For people on Ontario Works, that means little funds left over after food and rent for other necessities, or being in an outright deficit if you are a single person on Ontario Works and living on your own.
Such a person is $301 short, according to Public Health figures, each month just trying to feed themselves and put a roof over their head.
For a family of four, after food and rent, there is about $700 left over for other necessities. For a single parent with two children, that drops to $639.
Carmen McGregor, chair of the Chatham-Kent Food Policy Council, said food insecurity is a national issue.
“In Canada, a staggering 70 per cent of households relying on social assistance are experiencing food insecurity,” she said. “An adequate and secure income is a crucial solution to reduce these rates.”
The board of health approved sending a letter to the premier’s office seeking support for a basic income guarantee for Ontario residents.
