Report grades each province and territory;
calls for bold, collective government action; sets out measurable
poverty reduction road map
TORONTO, May 22, 2024
/CNW/ - Canada has reached a
critical turning point as poverty and food insecurity worsen in
every corner of the country, but despite the scale of the crisis,
most governments are not responding with the urgency that is
needed, according to Food Banks Canada's
newly-released 2024 Poverty Report Cards.
Food Banks Canada's 2024 Poverty Report Cards found that
almost half of people nationally (44%) feel worse off financially
compared to last year; one in four are experiencing food insecurity
and all jurisdictions except one province are failing in the
affordable housing section of the report. These important
findings contributed to Food Banks Canada downgrading the federal
government's grade of D in 2023 to a D- in 2024.
"Food Bank Canada's 2024 Poverty Report Cards show that
people in Canada, from coast to
coast to coast, are struggling to keep up with the rising cost of
living. Though deeply concerning, these results are sadly
unsurprising to the thousands of food banks across the country who
have seen a 50 per cent increase in visits since 2021," explains
Food Banks Canada CEO Kirstin
Beardsley. "All levels of government and all jurisdictions
working together is the only effective way to decrease and reverse
poverty and food insecurity," urges Beardsley. "Food Banks Canada's
2024 Poverty Report Cards clearly show that
sustained, collective effort from all governments is our greatest
hope for real and lasting change."
Governments in all regions are not
providing much-needed, urgent financial relief
"Food Banks Canada introduced its annual Poverty Report
Cards in 2023 as a comprehensive overview of the Canadian
poverty picture and to compare the progress of every government
over time, focusing on providing governments with tangible ways to
improve and prioritize poverty reduction efforts," says
Phil Ozga, Chief Network and
Government Relations Officer, Food Banks Canada.
"The majority of governments in Canada received 2024 Poverty Report
Cards grades in the D range. Seven out of 10 provinces received
a D- for their insufficient approach to poverty reduction, which
means no province is demonstrating an acceptable level of poverty
reduction efforts. Only Nova
Scotia (D- in 2024, F in 2023) and Prince Edward Island (C- in 2024, D+ in 2023)
improved on their 2023 grades thanks to an improved legislative
focus on poverty reduction over the past year," explains Ozga.
While Quebec is trending
slightly higher on its poverty reduction efforts (C+) compared to
most regions, the province's standing slipped from a B- in 2023 as
policy actions taken in prior years have not kept pace with the
rising cost of living. In the North, housing and living costs are
deepening the struggles of communities and signal an urgent need
for collective government action.
Food Banks Canada 2024 Poverty
Report Cards key findings
Food Banks Canada's 2024 Poverty Report Cards
paint a devastating look at the diverse ways poverty is impacting
people in every province or territory in Canada. The full series of report cards
provide detailed provincial, national, and territorial analysis and
statistics, along with updated interactive, digital maps to hold
governments to account.
Province/Territory
|
Overall
Grade
|
Key
Findings
|
Sample Policy
Recommendation
|
British
Columbia
|
D+ : same as
2023
|
Grade F: Pay more than
47% on housing – 39%
Grade F: Food
insecurity increased by 30% in one year
Grade B: Legislative
progress
Access policy
recommendations
|
- Introduce a new
poverty reduction strategy with the goal of reducing poverty by 50%
by 2030.
- Index all
provincial social benefits and credits and increase social
assistance rates for single people by at least 10%.
|
Alberta
|
D- : lower than a D
in 2024
|
Grade F: Food
insecurity rate – 27%
Grade
D-: Feel worse off financially vs. last year –
47%
Grade F: Legislative
progress
Access policy
recommendations
|
- Introduce a
provincial poverty reduction strategy.
- Expand the
Temporary Rent Assistance Benefit to all Albertans waiting for
affordable housing.
|
Northwest
Territories
|
INC
|
Grade F: Legislative
progress
Access policy
recommendations
|
- Index income
assistance, the NWT Child Benefit, and all other benefit payments
then enhance by 15% over the next 3 years.
- Develop a formal
municipal matching fund for rental construction and
repair.
|
Yukon
|
INC
|
Grade C: Legislative
progress
Access policy
recommendations
|
- Adopt meaningful
rent control.
- Index and enhance
the Yukon Supplementary Allowance for people with disabilities who
receive social assistance.
|
Nunavut
|
INC
|
Grade D: Legislative
progress
Access policy
recommendations
|
- Increase and index
the Nunavut Child Benefit.
- Convert the Senior
Fuels Subsidy and Homeowner Fuel Rebate into a universal
energy-consumption rebate for households with low and modest
incomes.
|
Saskatchewan
|
D- : lower than a D
in 2023
|
Grade F: Feel worse off
financially vs. last year – 50%
Grade F: Food
insecurity rate – 28%
Grade F: Legislative
progress
Access policy
recommendations
|
- Update and
modernize the 2016 Poverty Reduction Strategy.
- Improve and index
Saskatchewan's support programs.
|
Manitoba
|
D- : a significant
drop from a C- in 2023
|
Grade C+: Feel worse
off financially vs. last year – 39%
Grade F: Food
insecurity rate – 27%
Grade F: Spending more
than 30% of income on housing – 40%
Access policy
recommendations
|
- Present a poverty
reduction strategy for all Manitobans, with a particular focus on
single people and Indigenous peoples.
- Establish a
$100-million annual Manitoba Builds program modelled on the BC
Builds program.
|
Ontario
|
D- : same as
2023
|
Grade F: Spending
more than 30% on housing – 46%
Grade F: Food
insecurity rate – 25%
Grade
D-: Feel worse off financially vs. last year –
47%
Access policy
recommendations
|
- Adopt a set of
poverty reduction targets in line with Canada's Poverty Reduction
Strategy, which would entail a 50% reduction in poverty by
2030.
- Modernize the
Ontario Works program and ODSP.
|
Quebec
|
C+ : lower than a
B- in 2023
|
Grade C-: % of
people living an inadequate standard of living –30%
Grade B: Food
insecurity rate – 16%
Grade F: Spending more
than 30% on housing – 41%
Access policy
recommendations
|
- Establish a new
poverty reduction strategy, with the ambitious goal to end poverty
by 2030.
- Establish parity
for disability social assistance rates.
|
Newfoundland and
Labrador
|
D- : same as
2023
|
Grade F: Food
insecurity rate – 26%
Grade F: All indicators
in Section 1; including 50% of people feeling financially worse vs
last year
Grade B: Legislative
progress
Access policy
recommendations
|
- Implement
widespread indexation of benefits and brackets.
- Pilot new
employment initiatives targeting youth and the long-term
unemployed.
- Expand the basic
income pilot and partner with P.E.I.
|
New
Brunswick
|
D- : same as
2023
|
Grade F: Spending more
than 30% on housing – 37%
Grade F: All measures
in Section 2, including poverty and food insecurity rate
Access policy
recommendations
|
- Revise the Poverty
Reduction Strategy within 120 days of a new government taking
office.
- Establish a formal
rent control guideline.
- Develop a youth
employment and training strategy.
|
Nova Scotia
|
D- : higher than an F
in 2023
|
Grade F: Food
insecurity rate – 29%
Grade F: Feel worse off
financially vs. last year – 57%
Grade B: Legislative
progress
Access policy
recommendations
|
- Implement a poverty
reduction strategy.
- Remove co-payments
for provincial pharmacare programs.
- Increase and amend
the Poverty Reduction Credit.
|
Prince Edward
Island
|
C- : higher than a D+
in 2023
|
Grade F: Food
insecurity rate – 29%
Grade F: Feel worse off
financially vs. last year – 52%
Grade B: Legislative
progress
Access policy
recommendations
|
- Establish a
permanent affordable housing financing fund.
- Prior to the next
federal election, seek the unanimous support of all federal parties
to support a Guaranteed Basic Income pilot in P.E.I.
|
About Food Banks Canada
Food Banks Canada provides national leadership to relieve hunger
today and prevent hunger tomorrow in collaboration with the food
bank network from coast to coast to coast. For 40 years, food banks
have been dedicated to helping Canadians living with food
insecurity. Over 5,100 food banks and community organizations come
together to serve our most vulnerable neighbours who in March of
last year made nearly two million visits to these organizations,
according to our 2023 HungerCount Report. Over the past 10 years,
as a system we've sourced and shared over 1.4 billion pounds of
food and Food Banks Canada shared nearly $168 million in funding to help maximize
collective impact and strengthen local capacity – while advocating
for reducing the need for food banks. Our vision is clear: create a
Canada where no one goes hungry.
Visit foodbankscanada.ca to learn more.
SOURCE Food Banks Canada