Toronto's hunger crisis is now bigger than the city itself

The Daily Bread Food Bank and North York Harvest Food Bank released the annual ‘Who’s Hungry’ report, presenting a comprehensive look at poverty and food insecurity in Toronto.  

As rent and food prices continue to soar, coupled with an unsustainable cost of living, this report paints a stark picture of a city facing a deepening crisis.   

According to the report, Toronto food banks saw 3.49 million client visits over the past year—a rise of nearly 1 million visits from the previous year and a 273 percent increase from pre-pandemic levels.  

An additional 155,000 new clients relied on food banks for the first time, marking a 222 percent jump from two years prior and quadrupling pre-pandemic numbers.  

“It is unfathomable that the number of client visits to food banks is now higher than the City of Toronto's entire population,” said Neil Hetherington, CEO of Daily Bread Food Bank.  

He urged the government to address escalating housing and food costs, inflation, stagnant wages, and inadequate income supports, stating, “Our governments cannot continue to stand by as people are pushed further into poverty.”   

The 'Who’s Hungry 2024' report outlines key findings that reveal the gravity of Toronto’s poverty and food insecurity situation:   

• Food Bank Dependence: More than one in ten Toronto residents now rely on food banks, a 36 percent rise in unique clients compared to last year. Over half of the surveyed clients (57 percent) cited cost of living as their primary reason for seeking food assistance.   

• Income vs. Living Expenses: After covering rent and utilities, food bank clients have a median of only $7.78 per day to cover food and all other essentials.  

With a median monthly income of $1,265, clients earn barely over half of Toronto's Official Poverty Line of $2,397 for a single person.   

• Housing Burden: Nearly 9 in 10 food bank clients (87 percent) live in unaffordable housing, spending more than 30 percent of their income on rent and utilities. 

Of those, 73 percent allocate more than half of their income to housing, significantly increasing the risk of homelessness, while 20 percent spend their entire income on housing, leaving no funds for other necessities.   

• Employment and Disability Status: Among the 25 percent of food bank clients who report having a disability, 52 percent rely on social assistance as their primary income source, leaving them at least $1,000 below the poverty line monthly.  

Notably, 49 percent of food bank clients have at least one employed household member.   

• Impact on Food Security: Nearly 29 percent of food bank clients reported going a whole day without eating, and half skipped meals to afford other expenses. One client shared, “When you’re living on $300 a month, you need to rely on food banks.”  

Another unhoused client remarked, “I sacrifice with food. I've got children, too, so anything extra I give to them.”   

Clients have been clear on the policy changes they believe are necessary to break the cycle of food bank dependence.  

Affordable housing, fair wages, support for newcomers, and increased social assistance rates were noted as essential steps to ensure every Torontonian can live with dignity and access their basic needs.   

The ‘Who’s Hungry’ report further describes the impact on food banks themselves, which are straining under rising demand.  

It took 38 years for Toronto food banks to record 1 million visits, but within two years, they surpassed 2 million, and in the past year alone, visits have surged to over 3 million. The report asserts that every food bank visit underscores a policy failure.   

Ryan Noble, executive director of North York Harvest Food Bank, reinforced that food banks alone cannot resolve this crisis.  

“Food banks cannot and will not solve this problem, and we will not stand by quietly while we are asked to do impossible things,” he stated.  

Noble highlighted that, while food bank support is crucial, it should not be mistaken for a solution. Without significant policy action, the situation is expected to worsen.   

The Daily Bread Food Bank and North York Harvest Food Bank propose specific measures to address this crisis:   

1. Federal Action: Strengthen the Canada Disability Benefit by increasing the payment amount, broadening eligibility, and ensuring the benefit can be accessed without clawbacks, so individuals with disabilities can live above the poverty line.   

2. Provincial Action: As part of the commitment to build 1.5 million homes by 2031, ensure that at least 25 percent are permanently affordable or supportive homes, with a minimum of 50,000 units in Toronto. Define 'affordability' such that rent does not exceed 30 percent of a renter’s income.   

3. Municipal Action: Implement Toronto’s Poverty Reduction Strategy Action Plan along with an updated Food Charter, establishing concrete actions, indicators, and funding to reduce food insecurity and build resilience within Toronto’s emergency food programs.