[homeles_ot-l] The Price of Eating Well in Ottawa 2008

[Lynne Browne]

FYI… an excellent resource from Ottawa Public Health:

 

The Price of Eating Well in Ottawa 2008

 

There are people in Ottawa that cannot afford a nutritious diet

Each year, Ottawa Public Health conducts the Nutritious Food Basket Survey,
and each year the results show that low-income households struggle to pay
rent and bills, and to buy sufficient nutritious food for their family. The
survey requires visiting six grocery stores throughout the region to price
66 food items to determine an average price of a nutritious diet. The last
time this survey was completed was May 2008. 

While the provincial and federal governments make adjustments to minimum
wage and various benefits and credits, low-income families still do not have
enough income to meet their financial needs. The following scenarios
illustrate this point.

 

For more see the attached PDF or visit: HYPERLINK
"http://www.ottawa.ca/residents/health/living/nutrition/services/price_eatin
g_well_en.html"http://www.ottawa.ca/residents/health/living/nutrition/servic
es/price_eating_well_en.html

Other headings…

 

Households on fixed incomes

Households earning minimum wage

What kind of effect can this have on health?

Beyond food banks and charity

 

Including… 

Finding solutions

In addition to the nutritional benefits, community programs such as
community kitchens, good food box programs, community gardens, and school
nutrition programs provide social, psychological and community benefits.

But these types of programs by themselves will not solve the issue of
households not being able to afford a nutritious diet. They must ultimately
be accompanied by a stronger social safety net such as:

o     Improved social assistance and minimum wage rates. 

o     Establishing affordable housing. 

o     Eliminating the National Child Benefit adjustment to social assistance
for families. 

o     Improving employment insurance coverage and benefits. 

o     Providing accessible and affordable child care.

 

Lynne Browne

Coordinator, Alliance to End Homelessness (ATEH)
147 Besserer Street, Ottawa, ON K1N 6A7 
HYPERLINK "mailto:lbrowne at ysb.on.ca"lbrowne at ysb.on.ca,  613-241-7913 ext 205

www.endhomelessnessottawa.ca  

 


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