Mitzie Hunter issues three-point plan to increase food security

Toronto – Mitzie Hunter, mayoral candidate, saying too many people are hungry, has issued a three-point plan to increase food security.

“No one in this city should go hungry and that’s why I have a plan for immediate help as well as getting at the root causes of food insecurity in Toronto,” Hunter says.

“Having good, nutritious, food is a human right. We can’t have people hungry in Toronto.”

Hunter’s three-point plan, which offers immediate relief from hunger, includes:

• Doubling the Community Services Partnership funding for food access programs with an emphasis on supporting Toronto’s student nutrition program, ensuring children have nutritious food to get them though the school day
• Expanding the number of Community Gardens in Toronto in order to expand access to fresh vegetables through a plan to invest in a green and vibrant city
• Updating Toronto’s Food Charter and better co-ordinating the city departments, agencies and public and private partnerships engaged in food and income security.

The cost of Hunter’s food security plan is a net of $5 million. It will be part of her fully-costed budget plan which she will release prior to voting starting in June.

Hunter notes the number of people relying on food banks is rising dramatically with some seeing a quadrupling or clients since the pandemic.

Food bank officials are reporting that, increasingly, people with jobs are accessing foodbanks. This is because wages have not risen in line with inflation, yet food prices continue to go up dramatically. Coupled with high housing costs, household budgets are being squeezed.

That’s why Hunter is also addressing the root causes of food insecurity particularly those linked to affordability:

• A plan to address housing affordability, including thousands of below-market priced unites for both renters and buyers
• A plan for 2,000 supportive units and supports to prevent homelessness
• A plan to get Toronto moving again, including restoring TTC service cuts, rolling back fare increases, and free fares for seniors and Wheel Trans users.

“The affordability and housing crisis in Toronto is also a food security crisis,” says Hunter. “Too many of our neighbours are going hungry and relying on food banks. They don't have enough money each month to buy food for their family because housing costs are so high. We need to go at food insecurity straight on. My plan does that.”

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Contact:

Charmain Emerson

charmain@culturedcommunications.ca

Remarks by Mitzie Hunter announcing her food security policy, May 13, 2023:

• No one in this city should go hungry.

• Having good, nutritious, food is human right.

• We can’t have people go hungry in Toronto. 

• That’s why I have a plan for immediate help as well as getting at the root causes of food insecurity in Toronto. 

• My three-point plan includes: 

• One… Doubling the Community Services Partnership funding for food access programs .

• It will mean an emphasis on supporting Toronto’s student nutrition program, ensuring children have nutritious food to get them though the school day. 

• Two… Expanding the number of Community Gardens in Toronto.

• It is another way to expand access to fresh vegetables.

• Three… Updating Toronto’s Food Charter.

• My plan will also mean better co-ordinating the city departments, agencies and public and private partnerships engaged in food and income security.

• The number of people relying on food banks in Toronto is rising dramatically.

• Some foodbanks are seeing a quadrupling of clients since the pandemic.

• The people who run food banks are also reporting more and more people with jobs are accessing foodbanks.

• This is because wages have not risen in line with inflation, yet food prices continue to go up dramatically.

• Coupled with high housing costs, household budgets are being squeezed.

• That’s why my plan is also addressing the root causes of food insecurity. Things like…

• My plan to address housing affordability, including thousands of below-market priced unites for both renters and buyers.

• My plan for 2,000 supportive units and supports to prevent homelessness.

• My plan to get Toronto moving again, by restoring TTC service cuts, rolling back fare increases, and free fares for seniors and Wheel Trans users.

• The affordability and housing crisis in Toronto is linked to a food insecurity crisis.

• Too many of our neighbours are going hungry.

• Too many are relying on food banks.

• We need to take get at food insecurity straight on.

• My plan does that.

• We need to Fix the Six.

• We need fresh eyes and new solutions.

• The same faces from the same places won’t solve the problems we face.

• Let’s choose to do better.

• That’s why I am running for mayor.
• I’m running for mayor, because I want to lead Toronto’s revival as a city that works for everyone, everywhere.

END