The city council in Kingston, Ont. will vote tonight on a motion to declare food insecurity an emergency in the eastern Ontario city.
The motion from Coun. Brandon Tozzo notes the Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington Public Health estimates that one in three households in Kingston are food insecure.
“Food insecurity is defined as the inadequate or insecure access to food due to financial constraints, a marker of pervasive material deprivation (poverty), and posing a serious public health problem because of its association with higher rates of numerous diseases and chronic health conditions and a higher risk of early death,” Tozzo’s motion says.
The councillor notes the cost-of-living crisis, precarious work and “acute shocks like COVID-19, illness or eviction, make it more difficult to afford life’s basic needs and live free from poverty.”
“Current social assistance rates are woefully inadequate, making it impossible to afford a healthy diet.”
If approved, the motion calls on Kingston council to ask the Ontario government to “immediately raise” social assistance rates and increase base funding to existing school food programs. The motion, seconded by Kingston deputy mayor Gregory Ridge, also calls on the federal and Ontario governments to establish a Guaranteed Liveable Basic Income to “address the causes of food insecurity.”
In November, Mississauga city council declared food insecurity an emergency. The motion called on Ontario to improve social assistance programs and invest in “affordable, supportive and public housing.”
The Ottawa Food Bank is calling on the City of Ottawa to declare food insecurity a crisis as it sees a spike in demand for services. The food bank announced last week it is cutting donations to its 98 food programs by up to 50 per cent this year due to rising food costs and the increased demand.
The meeting for Kingston city council begins at 7 p.m. Tuesday.