Advocacy & Issues 12/19/2024 At Community Food Centres Canada (CFCC), we resource and strengthen the community food sector and mobilize with our network of 400+ partners for policies that address food insecurity and poverty. We are deeply concerned about the record high levels of food insecurity in Canada. At least 1 in 4 people can’t afford to eat healthy, nutritious food on a daily basis across the country. As the cost of living soars and outpaces wages, we expect the number of people who can’t put food on their tables to continue to rise. The federal government must step up—today. That’s why like many other organizations, we closely monitored the release of the 2024 Fall Economic Statement (FES). We were hopeful the government would commit to the bold work of tackling food insecurity and poverty. Sadly, this is not the case. Almost all of the FES’s $24 billion in new spending has gone towards trade, business promotion, and security efforts to grow the economy, and towards investments to build more houses. All these are welcome measures, of course. Unfortunately, the FES does not include long-term direct income support for people on low incomes who are facing the greatest brunt of food insecurity and poverty. Instead, it commits to just a few short-term measures such as a two-month GST/HST tax break, and Canada Carbon Rebate rural top-ups. For this reason, the FES is yet another disappointment. Food insecurity is worsening, bold accountable action is needed from the government It is almost déjà vu that when we reflected on last year’s FES, we noted that according to Statistics Canada’s 2022 estimates, 6.9 million people couldn’t afford food—a record high food insecurity rate then. A year later, that number has increased by a whopping 1.8 million people. While Statistics Canada is yet to release the 2024 numbers, we know these will be even higher given the high cost of living and stagnant wages. Food insecurity is a national problem with deep roots in poverty. Food is often the first thing people cut from their budgets to prioritize other basic needs such as paying their rent or mortgage or buying medication. So, by the time people report facing problems accessing food, we already know they can’t meet many of their other basic needs. To effectively address food insecurity and poverty, the government must create long-term, direct income supports and social programs for people on low incomes, building on current federal programs and social safety nets that have already helped reduce food insecurity and poverty in Canada. The FES doesn’t provide long-term, direct income supports to address food insecurity Because the FES doesn’t provide any long-term, direct income support for people on low incomes, it doesn’t address food insecurity or poverty. In fact, it mentions “food insecurity” just once and in terms of community food programs. Food insecurity is a problem of poverty and inadequate income, not a lack of food. Rather than stop-gap measures such as a two-month GST/HST tax break, the government must implement a long-term income program to support low-income adults with no disabilities aged 18 to 64. This group has been overlooked for as far as the history of social policymaking in Canada stretches. To create this program, we propose two options: a Groceries and Essentials Benefit, building on the current GST/HST credit, or a Canada Working-Age Supplement, building on the existing Canada Workers Benefit. In addition, we welcome the FES’s plan to introduce legislation to exempt the Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) from tax and to work with provinces and territories so that CDB payments are not clawed back. Such efforts can ensure that CDB recipients can keep their full benefits. However, these efforts fall far short of creating a fair CDB. We echo the call by Disability Without Poverty and other allied sectors that the government must create a CDB that, among other things, includes all people with disabilities, is easy to access, and provides payments that lift all people with disabilities out of poverty. The FES doesn’t provide housing support for those who need it today Housing is a critical determinant of food security and health. That’s why it is encouraging that the FES commits significant funding to build more houses and reduce costs of homeownership. However, these measures are expected to yield positive results in the medium- to long-terms. We also appreciate plans to extend the Federal Community Housing Initiative beyond 2027 to help community housing projects keep their rents low, keep up with maintenance, and preserve the existing supply of affordable housing. Nonetheless, community housing projects can only house as many people. Many more people on low incomes need housing support today. Over three-quarters of all households in Canada spend at least 30% of their income on housing, making it unaffordable. As people dedicate substantial portions of their incomes on such costs, they are left with little, sometimes nothing, to buy food. Echoing the National Housing Council’s recommendations, we call on the federal government to enhance the Canada Housing Benefit by providing support based on actual rents to households with a core housing need and at risk of homelessness. Such support can also mitigate the permanent loss of affordable rental housing arising from evictions due to inability to pay rent. Above all, Canada needs a food insecurity target The government monitors food insecurity as part of its Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS), but this is not linked to any targets. To drive accountable targeted action, we call on the government to commit to reducing food insecurity by 50% from 2021 levels and eliminating severe food insecurity by 2030. In addition, the government must create a food insecurity working group made of people with lived experiences of food insecurity and subject matter experts from the food sector and other related policy, research, academic, and social service sectors. This working group would: advise the federal government. identify and recommend policy options to address food insecurity in ways aligned with meeting the target recommended above. Next steps Heading into Budget 2025 and what potentially could be an early federal election, we will keep mobilizing with our network and sector allies to demand accountable action from the government. We demand real results when it comes to reducing food insecurity and poverty. Keen to learn more? See our FES briefing note for partners for more details. To stay up to date or get involved, visit our Poverty Action Unit page, contact us at pau@cfccanada.ca, sign up for our newsletter, or follow us on social media (LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook).