Hunger Report 2017: The Rising Cost of Housing and its Impact on Hunger in Ontario

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& <strong>Hunger</strong> <strong>Housing</strong> BUILDING A FOUNDATION FOR A MORE EQUITABLE ONTARIO
I. Ontario’s Rental Market One <strong>of</strong> the primary drivers <strong>of</strong> food bank use is the lack <strong>of</strong> affordable housing options for low-income Ontarians. Without access to affordable housing, low-income Ontarians <strong>of</strong>ten have no choice but to allocate the majority <strong>of</strong> their monthly income to their housing expense. This leaves very little for other essentials, like heat <strong>and</strong> hydro, transportation, medicine, <strong>and</strong> food. Despite <strong>its</strong> importance, finding an affordable place to live has become increasingly more difficult for Ontarians. For example, between 2005 <strong>and</strong> 2015, the average rent <strong>of</strong> a one-bedroom apartment in Ontario increased 24 per cent, from $780 per month to $972. 6 Unfortunately, the ability to afford this housing did not grow as quickly. In this same period <strong>of</strong> time, the median employment income for single person households in Ontario only grew by 13 per cent. 7 Similarly, income support provided through the Ontario Disability Support Program only grew 15 per cent 8 . As market-rate housing became increasingly less affordable, the wait list for rent-geared-to-income (RGI) housing (un<strong>its</strong> where rent is set to an affordable percentage <strong>of</strong> household income) grew 39 per cent, reaching over 171,000 households. 9 <strong>The</strong>re are many theories behind the surge in housing prices, with two <strong>of</strong> the most common being a lack <strong>of</strong> supply 10 <strong>and</strong> a surge in dem<strong>and</strong>. 11 Together, these two factors put an incredible strain on Ontario’s housing market, causing prices <strong>of</strong> both housing <strong>and</strong> rental un<strong>its</strong> to increase. In fact, between 2012 <strong>and</strong> FIGURE 2.1: COMPARING THE RISE IN INFLATION 12 , THE WAIT LIST FOR SOCIAL HOUSING 13 , INCOME FOR SINGLE PEOPLE 14 , AND AVERAGE RENT 15 Percent Change 45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% -5% 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Wait List, Social <strong>Housing</strong> Average Rent, 1 Bedroom Inflation Employment Income, Single People 11
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Page 7 and 8: FIGURE 1.4: HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCAT
Page 9: FIGURE 1.9: HOUSEHOLD SIZE, FOOD BA
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Page 15 and 16: III. True Cost <st
Page 17 and 18: FIGURE 2.6: PERCENT OF INCOME SPENT
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Hunger Report 2017: The Rising Cost of Housing and its Impact on Hunger in Ontario

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