‘The hunger map is growing’

Hamilton Centre riding had second highest concentration of food bank use in Ontario in 2018

The riding of Hamilton Centre had the second highest concentration per capita of food bank use in Ontario last year, according to a new Feed Ontario study.

The organization, formerly called the Ontario Association of Food Banks, worked with the Fleming College Geographic Information Systems program to examine data from every riding in the province.

The study, with data presented via an interactive online map, found access to food banks in 2018 increased by three per cent — 507,977 people and 3,033,970 visits — over 2017.

Hamilton Food Share helps 30,300 people each year in the city’s four electoral ridings.

“On a typical day in Hamilton, over 700 people will cross the threshold of a food bank seeking help, where 70 per cent derive their income from provincially funded Ontario Disability Support Program and Ontario Works,” Joanne Santucci, executive director of Hamilton Food Share, said in a news release.

“The hunger map is growing and will continue to do so without a meaningful provincial antipoverty strategy,” she added.

Last year, 12,300 people visited food banks in Hamilton Centre 111,828 times, the study found. That made for a per capita use of 12 in 100 people.

Only Ottawa-Vanier, which saw 16,537 people use food banks 80,332 times, had a per capita figure of 15 in 100 among Ontario electoral ridings.

Here’s how other local ridings compared:

• Hamilton West-Ancaster-Dundas: four in 100 people

• Hamilton East-Stoney Creek: four in 100 people

• Hamilton Mountain: six in 100 people

• Burlington: two in 100 people Feed Ontario’s Hunger Report 2018 found children to be one of the largest demographics of food bank users at 33 per cent between April 2017 and March 2018.

Among seniors, 25 per cent go to a food bank more than 12 times a year, which is in contrast to people under 65, of which 13 per cent rely on such services.

The report linked the statistic to the erosion of company pensions, dip in personal savings, and social assistance that hasn’t kept up with the cost of living.

To ease the pain, Feed Ontario suggested a housing benefit for all low-income people, more affordable housing and bolstering benefits for seniors.