The City of Orillia has joined the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit, along with other health units, in calling on the provincial government to use food affordability to help determine the adequacy of rates for Ontario Works (OW) and the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP).
At Monday’s city council meeting, city politicians lent their support to a resolution from the Association of Local Public Health Agencies (ALPHA), which also calls on the provincial government to index OW compensation to inflation.
Given that food prices rose 10.6 per cent from February 2022 to February 2023, and 67 per cent of households relying on OW and ODSP experience food insecurity, the ALPHA resolution calls on the provincial government to utilize health units’ food affordability monitoring results to help determine social assistance rates.
Although ODSP rates were increased by 5 per cent in 2022, and will be indexed to inflation moving forward, the resolution notes that compensation is “not based on the costs of living,” and similarly highlights that OW rates have not increased since 2018 and are not indexed to inflation.
Data gathered from several Ontario health units shows OW compensation — ranging from $863 to $875 per month — does not meet the costs of food and a bachelor apartment in their respective municipalities. These shortfalls are as follows:
- Chatham–Kent: shortfall of $132 per month to pay for food and a bachelor apartment
- North Bay Parry Sound District: shortfall of $178 per month
- Northwestern: shortfall of $192 per month
- Ottawa: shortfall of $588 per month
- Peterborough: shortfall of $323 per month
- Toronto: shortfall of $752 per month
- Wellington–Dufferin–Guelph: shortfall of $498 per month
In a letter to Premier Doug Ford, included in Monday’s council agenda package, the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit noted one in five Simcoe Muskoka households experienced food insecurity between 2021-2022.
The health unit also stated that households relying on minimum wage, old age security, and Canada Pension Plan compensation can similarly experience food insecurity.
“To reduce household food insecurity, income solutions at all levels of government are needed to put more money in people’s pockets for food and to help meet other basic needs,” the letter states. “Sufficient income to meet basic needs supports individuals to be physically and mentally healthy, to make meaningful contributions to society, and lead productive lives.”
City council voted in favour of supporting ALPHA’s resolution to the province, marking the second occasion in recent meetings where city politicians have called on the province to take action on ODSP and OW rates.
“What we are doing is supporting the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit, and indeed all of the health units, in calling on the province to acknowledge the impact of rising food costs and particularly on people who are receiving social assistance,” said Coun. Janet-Lynne Durnford.
“I think this is very important, that we keep the pressure on the province to ensure that people who are vulnerable are supported.”
A copy of the resolution passed by council will be sent to Premier Doug Ford, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, all municipalities in Ontario, and numerous elected officials in the provincial government.
