'food insecurity is at a crisis point': advocate argues policy changes are needed
7 minute read
renee mackillop, project coordinator of the alex. in forest lawn in calgary on monday, april 8, 2024. darren makowichuk/postmedia
darren makowichuk
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darren makowichuk/postmedia
a single mother of six children aged two to 18, edith s. somehow manages to pay for food, clothing, utilities and a mortgage on a small townhouse she scrimped and saved to buy just three years ago.
relentlessly disciplined and careful about her spending, edith is an example to almost any shopper looking to save. she constantly compares the prices of all the basics for her kids, using couponing and grocery flyer apps, ensuring she gets the best deals every week.
“i never buy anything if it’s not on sale,” edith says. “i’m always looking at flyers, comparing prices, price matching, and going to many different discount stores — nofrills, giant tiger, superstore to make sure i’m getting the best prices.
“i will always buy in bulk and try to stock up on sales, especially meat, like a big tray of pork chops, and then freeze as much as i can.
“but no beef. i can’t remember the last time we ate beef. we can’t — it’s just too expensive.”
two years ago, she says groceries were “very manageable” at about $150 per week.
“now i’m looking at close to $300 a week, sometimes $350 if it’s the week that i’m buying diapers in bulk.”
but bills have been tougher than ever in recent months after edith lost her job in december working for a local non-profit group. and feeding six growing kids — aged 2, 7, 8, 10, 12 and 18 years of age — makes that challenge even more difficult.
her monthly mortgage is about $600, on top of a $320 condo fee, for the unit she owns in forest heights.
“i was really lucky back in 2021, when i bought the condo, i got a good deal at $135,000. and i took advantage of really good interest rates.”
edith worries about her mortgage renewal which is coming up in about a year, and because she only worked part time when she was employed before christmas, her monthly ei employment insurance payments are only about $800.
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but since five of her children are still under 18, edith receives about $2,700 a month in federal and provincial child tax benefits.
“honestly that is what’s getting me through right now.
“i’m working really hard to try and find another job. but it’s really hard right now.”
every month, edith follows a strict budget, ensuring she never overspends.
“i pay all of the important things first, mortgage, utilities, insurance, condo fees. then feeding the kids.
“if i have anything left over, they can do activities like swimming lessons, art lessons at the community centre, or basketball because it’s free.”
edith says so far, she and her kids have been able to continue to eat healthily on most days, much of it thanks to the alex community kitchen near their forest lawn home.
edith says she shops for affordable produce, and often attends family meal nights, with free dinners offered to families struggling to put food on their own tables.
“it’s such a great place to go, they have affordable vegetables, and everything is so fresh.
“and the community meals are great. we are really lucky to benefit from the alex, and it’s so close to our home.”
renee mackillop, project coordinator of the alex in forest lawn in calgary on monday, april 8, 2024. darren makowichuk/postmedia
darren makowichuk
/
darren makowichuk/postmedia
renee mackillop, a project co-ordinator at the alex working to stem the tide of food insecurity, says demand at the alex community kitchen has grown astronomically in the past few years, serving nearly 30,000 free community meals last year alone, a 35 per cent increase from pre-covid.
the alex’s numbers are reflective of rising need across the province, mackillop says, with about 22 per cent of albertans experiencing food insecurity, slightly above the national average of 20 per cent, according to statscan.
“that means across canada, 6.9 million canadians, are experiencing food insecurity. but what’s really staggering is that the data doesn’t even include really vulnerable groups, like the homeless, or people living on first nations reserves.”
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while the numbers have become increasingly worse since the pandemic, mackillop added, last year alone saw one million more canadians facing food insecurity.
“we can all relate to food prices right now and we all can understand food is an essential part of being healthy and taking care of our family.
“but the demand that we’re seeing is very concerning.”
and while food charity is wonderful and much-needed as the cost of living continues to rise in calgary, mackillop argues it is not a long-term solution.
“we need policy change.
“food insecurity is a reality for so many people facing the affordability crisis right now. but the issue isn’t about a lack of food, it’s about a lack of income, having enough to afford to have food.”
as project coordinator with the alex, mackillop is working with groups like the affordability action council and the institute for research on public policy to push for nationwide policy change like creating a new groceries and essentials benefit for low-income canadians struggling to pay for food.
according to a recent report released by the affordability action council, almost seven million people in canada — including two million children — do not have stable access to sufficient food.
a number of global issues are continuing to make food unaffordable for a growing number of canadians, including global inflation, fluctuations in world oil prices, geopolitical instability, as well as droughts and floods exacerbated by climate change.
and the increases in food, in addition to rents, energy and transportation prices have outpaced incomes, leaving little left over at the end of the month. and because it’s often easier to cut back on groceries than rent and utilities, a growing number of canadians are going hungry.
“lower-income canadians are feeling the pinch of higher food prices. many are not buying enough food so they can afford to pay the rent and their utility bills. this situation is unacceptable. increased income support is needed to ensure that the food and essential needs of all canadians are met,” said gillian petit, senior research associate at the university of calgary and a member of the affordability action council.
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the report recommends that the federal government restructure and expand the goods and services tax rebate and rename it the groceries and essentials benefit, providing up to $1,800 a year per adult and $600 per child.
in addition, the council recommends that the proposed benefit be provided monthly rather than quarterly, allowing up to $150 a month per adult and $50 per child to the lowest-income households, spreading payments evenly throughout the year to give recipients more stability and predictability to pay monthly bills.
“food insecurity is at a crisis point,” says mackillop.
“but charity is not always the answer. we need better policies that will provide people with the income they need to put food on the table, feed their families, and live healthier lives.”
the council’s report also points to statscan data from 2023, which shows that almost seven million canadians, including nearly two million children, are facing food insecurity.
more than 40 per cent of those are families led by single mothers, about 60 per cent are single mothers with a disability, more than one-third are black and indigenous families and more than 60 per cent are families with a major income earner who is unemployed.
at the same time, food banks canada recorded almost two million visits to food banks across the country in march 2023, up 32 per cent from the same month a year earlier and up more than 78 per cent from 2019.
single, working-age adults accounted for 44 per cent of food bank users, one of the largest subsets of visitors, with the number one reason for food insecurity being financial constraints.
we know the rising costs of groceries, mortgages, rents and power are important issues for so many calgarians trying to provide for their families. in our special series squeezed: navigating calgary’s high cost of living, we take a deep look into the affordability crisis in calgary. we’ve crunched numbers, combed through reports and talked to experts to find out how inflation is impacting our city, and what is being done to bring prices back to earth. but, most importantly, we spoke to real families who shared their stories and struggles with us. we hope you will join the conversation as these stories roll out.
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this week: scrimping and saving: food insecurity in calgary
- ‘you just can’t afford to be a single parent anymore’: working mom struggles to afford necessities
- why has shrinkflation run rampant and when will it end? plus, 11 startling examples
- ‘my bills keep growing. but my income isn’t’: senior stretches $35 a week grocery budget
- ‘guess what folks? food isn’t getting any cheaper’: inflation, sadly, is nothing new
still to come:
- priced out: the rising cost of housing
- the cost of doing business
our series so far:
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