Council warned poverty, ill health linked

from The London Free Press

By JOE BELANGER, SUN MEDIA

Thousands of London children aren't getting nutritious meals because their parents don't earn enough money, says the area's medical officer of health.

And Dr. Graham Pollett is urging city council to lobby the province to increase welfare payments, the minimum wage and affordable housing.

"What makes sense is to increase social assistance and minimum wage so that low-income households have sufficient funds not just to live, but to live a healthy lifestyle," wrote Pollett in a letter to council.

"Additionally, increasing and improving access to affordable housing diverts household dollars from rent back into the food budget."

Pollett's comments are in reaction to the Middlesex-London Health Unit's annual Nutritious Food Basket study, which concludes welfare and the minimum wage aren't keeping pace with rising food and shelter costs.

The report says over the last nine years, welfare and disability rates increased three per cent compared to a 15.5 per cent increase in food costs.

"The cumulative increase in the cost of food over a nine-year period of time is challenging, especially for those on fixed and limited incomes," the report states.

The food basket concludes that a typical London family on social assistance -- father, 42, mother 38, son, 14 and daughter, 8 -- requires $1,666.48 a month to provide shelter and other basic needs, including nutritious food.

However, the average income for that family is $1,239, a shortfall of $427.48.

The lack of money for food and other basic needs leads to other problems, said Pollett.

"Poverty almost always involves social exclusion," Pollett wrote in a letter.

For instance, he said, inviting friends or family for dinner is no longer an option. Nor is buying birthday presents for children to take to parties, or participating in recreational activities.

"This isolation and the resulting social exclusion can lead to further problems with poor health, depression and dysfunction," Pollett said.

"As a result, poverty quickly deprives people of their dignity, confidence, hope and pride."

Pollett's report is headed to council's community and protective services committee tomorrow.

The report comes on the heels of a study released last week by Ontario Campaign 2000, a non-partisan, anti-poverty group that found one in six children in Ontario lives in poverty and that the poverty rate reached 17.4 per cent in 2004, up from 15.1 per cent in 2001.

Coun. Susan Eagle welcomed the health unit report.

"In every case, the cost of nutritious food is higher than the actual income," said Eagle.

The Toronto Board of Health recently proposed the province provide a "nutrition allowance" in welfare payments.