Stress grows as hunger hits home

Children should not have to seek food for their families, writes Alison Standen

CHRISTMAS and the holiday season is a time for relaxing with loved ones, and for reflection on what is important in life.

Health, family and community – a roof over our heads and food on the table.

But this is not the reality for us all. Sadly very little has happened in 2019 to address our housing crisis and the cost of living – and the result is rising homelessness and food insecurity.

I recently visited a Neighbourhood Centre that offers a weekly hot meal and company to locals. I overheard a conversation between two young men comparing brands of two-minute noodles. I’d hazard a guess the meal they enjoyed that night was the most nutritious either would have that week.

That same night there was a boy around 12 years old gathering food from the emergency food supplies on offer that night. I could see from his careful choices that he was ‘shopping’ to feed his family – a responsibility beyond his years.

An ANZ-CoreLogic report shows that on average, a record 33.9 per cent of household incomes are spent on rent, the highest of any capital city. Rents have increased 10 per cent over three years.

Anglicare’s Rental Affordability Snapshot shows pensioners being forced to share their home, or choose between paying their rent, their electricity bill, or putting food on the table.

Shelters are full and turning away on average 28 people every day. There is no guarantee they will be housed and there is no option to house them together.

This is not good enough. Historically, low average wages have been balanced out by lower costs of living, but this is no longer the case. People are being squeezed out of the private rental market and losing hope of ever being able to afford their own homes or even rent.

Food insecurity affected one in five Tasmanians in the past year. It is defined as the state of being without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food.

It’s not simply about being hungry — food insecurity limits a person’s physical and mental health. When you’re hungry, your body produces cortisol, a stressor that signals to your body to eat. This stress, when prolonged, has deteriorative qualities, and can have serious effects on a person’s psyche.

Foodbank’s Hunger Report 2019 shows an 18 per cent increase in Tasmanians seeking food assistance. An alarming 2302 Tasmanians cannot be assisted each month and 40 per cent more food is required to meet demand.

Loaves & Fishes, meets demand for 70 per cent of emergency food relief in Tasmania, producing 5000 meals a week and servicing 220 community food programs and 38 school breakfast clubs. Yet their southern operations supporting 134 programs is ceasing Hobart operations due to missing out on $150,000 Federal Government funding.

Emergency relief funding is to be cut by $5.7 million at the end of 2020.

The Tasmania Report said while we are experiencing economic success we lag the rest of the country in many areas and the gap between economic and social outcomes is getting deeper.

A strong economy doesn’t mean an equal or fair life and the divide between Tasmanians enjoying the success of the economy and Tasmanians who are not is growing.

THERE WAS A BOY AROUND 12 GATHERING FOOD FROM THE EMERGENCY SUPPLIES. I COULD SEE FROM HIS CAREFUL CHOICES HE WAS ‘SHOPPING’ TO FEED HIS FAMILY – A RESPONSIBILITY BEYOND HIS YEARS