New data released from Chatham-Kent Public Health is painting a bleak picture of the number of local residents living with food insecurity.
According to the Cost of Eating in CK Infographic for 2023, CK Public Health reported that one in five households in the municipality do not have enough money to buy food.
The health unit said food insecurity can have negative impacts on physical and mental health, as it significantly increases the risk of issues such as diabetes, heart disease, anxiety, and depression.
While local community organizations are essential to providing emergency food support, they do not address the true cause of food insecurity, the health unit said.
“In Chatham-Kent, people living with food insecurity must choose between paying for housing or paying for food. The increasing cost of food is making this issue worse,” says Carmen McGregor, chair of the Chatham-Kent Food Policy Council, in a news release. “It is important to realize though, that food prices are not the root cause of food insecurity for the CK community. It is a lack of adequate and secure income.”
To address the issue of food insecurity, the health unit listed several measures that should be implemented including having a basic income guarantee, increasing social assistance programs to reflect the cost of living, increasing the minimum wage to reflect the cost of living, lowering income tax for low-income households, as well as providing affordable/accessible housing, transportation, and childcare.
“Food insecurity is a complex issue that affects many households in Chatham-Kent,” says Dr. Shanker Nesathurai, acting medical officer of health. “We need to come together to raise awareness and advocate for healthy public policies.”
