For health and social care leaders | 3-min read
Why it matters
Huron Perth Public Health’s newly released Real Cost of Eating 2024 report confirms what frontline providers already see: food insecurity is escalating in our region—and it’s a major health issue. With nearly 1 in 5 households unable to afford enough nutritious food, this is a wake-up call for our entire health and social care system. The data underscores that income—not food access—is the root problem, and solving it requires coordinated, system-level action.
As an Ontario Health Team committed to health equity and integrated care, the Huron Perth & Area Ontario Health Team (HPA-OHT) is uniquely positioned to respond—linking this evidence to our Social Determinants of Health and Social Prescribing work.
Next steps for the OHT
- Use the report as a springboard to embed income and food insecurity considerations into care planning, especially for high-risk populations.
- Collaborate across sectors to advocate for upstream interventions—like affordable housing, basic income, and poverty reduction—as health solutions.
- Activate social prescribing pathways to connect patients with supports like income counselling, housing stability, and nutrition programs.
Dig deeper
Key findings from the report:
- A family of four needs $1,338/month just for food—a 46% share of income for those on Ontario Works.
- Between 2021–2023, 18% of Huron Perth households faced food insecurity.
- High rent and utility costs leave little for essentials like food—especially for people with disabilities, unattached individuals, seniors, and single-parent families.
- Health impacts of food insecurity are severe: poorer physical and mental health, higher rates of hospitalization, and lower life expectancy.
Food charity alone (such as food banks) cannot solve food insecurity:
- Food charity isn’t a scalable solution—less than 25% of food-insecure households use food banks.
- Systemic issues like income inequality, inadequate social assistance, precarious work, and unaffordable housing are driving the crisis.
