A person’s health is shaped by where they live, work, learn and play, and by whether they can access enough safe and nutritious food to support their daily needs and preferences. The health unit takes a health equity approach that includes planning, advocacy, and action to:

• Make nutritious food more accessible
• Provide supportive food environments
• Develop policies to prevent chronic disease and promote wellness
• Build awareness, knowledge, and skills in food and nutrition.

Making nutritious choices matters but not everyone has the same access. Many individuals and families face household food insecurity, which is inadequate or uncertain access to food due to financial constraints. This often means worrying about running out of food, skipping meals, or going for entire days without eating.

Household food insecurity is a persistent and serious public health issue that results in short and long-term impacts on individual health, family life, and community well-being. It is linked to:

• Heightened nutritional vulnerability
• Increased rates of some chronic diseases, infectious and noncommunicable diseases, injuries and chronic pain
• Poorer mental and physical health
• Poorer disease management
• Greater health care costs and premature death
• Social and economic consequences such as contributing to a cycle of poverty and reduced overall community well-being as people struggle with other unmet basic needs, such as housing, transportation, clothing and utilities.

Household Food Insecurity Is Worsening and We’re in Crisis

Source: Public Health Ontario. Household Food Insecurity Snapshot PHU (2019 – 2024). Updated August 14, 2025. 

Household Food Insecurity In Simcoe Muskoka

Household food insecurity continues to rise in Simcoe Muskoka and now affects an estimated 60,000 households.

The risk of experiencing food insecurity is higher among households that:

• Have low incomes
• Are lone-parent
• Rent their homes
• Live in medium or large urban areas

For more details, visit Household Food Insecurity HealthSTATS.

For a report on Household Food Insecurity trends using a local survey, visit this data brief.

The Cost Of Food In Simcoe Muskoka 

The health unit monitors food affordability annually using the Ontario Nutritious Food Basket survey, that measures the cost of eating well based on the national nutrition guidelines and typical shopping patterns. The survey results are used to calculate the monthly cost of basic nutritious food in our region to then demonstrate how these costs affect people living within various income scenarios.

Year after year, results show that many individuals and households are unable to afford food and a basic standard of living. For more details, visit our  Nutritious Food Basket HealthSTATS  webpage.

Download the 2025 Nutritious Food Basket Infographic

The Most Effective Solution

The number of individuals and families experiencing food insecurity and the associated health and social problems will continue to grow unless we address the main cause of inadequate and insecure incomes.  Effective evidence-informed responses to this problem are needed and can happen in a variety of ways.
Policy interventions that increase the incomes of low-income households are needed to reduce household food insecurity. Evidence shows that food-based responses (e.g., charitable food programs) can meet urgent food needs, but they do not reduce household food insecurity. 

Local data on food affordability and the rising rates of household food insecurity in our region show that current economic and social policies are failing to protect those most vulnerable. Strengthening income supports and policies that focus on improving the financial stability of the lowest-income households is the most effective way to reduce food insecurity and its health and community consequences.

Reducing poverty and household food insecurity is complex and requires a whole community approach to guide actions and find solutions. While food banks and emergency community food programs are essential to bridge the gap for people who need food immediately, they are short-term solutions and are not designed to solve household food insecurity. Lasting change requires policies and programs that address poverty, income and employment stability.

What Can Local Municipalities and Community Groups Do?

Reducing poverty and household food insecurity is difficult and requires a whole community approach to guide actions and find solutions. Municipalities and community groups play a key role in addressing household food insecurity. Here are some ways they can act:

• Raise awareness within the community about poverty and household food insecurity and its connection to income. 
• Create and support a poverty reduction strategy.
• Provide leadership and support to local partnerships working to reduce poverty and household food insecurity and/or poverty. 
• Support a living wage.
• Support free income tax filing clinics for households with lower incomes. 
• Advocate to provincial and federal governments for stronger income-based policies and income support programs. Here’s a letter you can adapt for your own use. 

Additional actions are possible. Contact us to learn more and work with us on effective solutions to address poverty and household food insecurity. 

What Can Provincial and Federal Governments Do?

Provincial and federal governments play a crucial role in reducing poverty and household food insecurity by implementing policies that address poverty, income and employment instability. Key responsibilities include:

Provincial Government:

• Invest in a comprehensive poverty reduction strategy for Ontario that includes targets for reducing poverty and household food insecurity. Continue to report regularly on these targets
• Improve existing social assistance programs (e.g., Ontario Works and the Ontario Disability Support Program) (e.g., increase social assistance rates to match real living costs, indexed to inflation)
• Enhance legislation that supports jobs with livable wages, regular hours and benefits (e.g., paid sick days)
• Increase investment in public initiatives that make life more affordable for lower income populations (e.g., attainable housing).

• Meet commitments outlined in the Canadian poverty reduction strategy and continue to report regularly on achievements
• Work towards implementation of a national basic income  
• Improve existing federal income support policies and programs, such as: 
  • enhance the Canadian Child Benefit and Canada Disability amounts
  • increase investment in attainable housing, post-secondary education, and national pharmacare  
  • accelerate and expand existing work on targeted benefits and supports for populations with disproportionately high rates of poverty, e.g. accelerate work on the Canada Disability Benefit
  • reduce income taxes for lowest-income households
• Strengthen legislation that support jobs with livable wages, regular hours and benefits

Learn More 

PROOF

Dietitians of Canada 2024 Position Statement on Household Food Insecurity

Public Health Ontario – Food Insecurity & Food Affordability in Ontario

Public Health Ontario Household Food Insecurity Snapshot

Ontario Dietitians in Public Health – Position Statement on Response to Food Insecurity