Food bank visitors have often shared with us that without the support of a food bank, they would struggle to keep a roof over their heads. Food insecurity and a lack of access to stable, affordable housing are strongly linked. But even more concerning, in the Hunger Report 2025, we found that spikes in food bank use are often an early warning sign that homelessness in Ontario is likely to increase.
The growing gap between income and expenses can lead to homelessness
Many food bank visitors have told us they have to choose between paying their rent and buying food, or even that they have nothing left over after paying all the bills each month. This kind of instability is precarious – all it takes is one unexpected expense to lead to even bigger challenges.
But often, homelessness does not happen quickly. As a person or family’s cost of living continues to rise while incomes stay the same, less and less choices become available to them. They may cut all other expenses and exhaust all other options – like delaying other bill payments, asking friends or family for help, going into debt, or turning to a food bank – before risking losing their housing. But eventually, if circumstances don’t change, they may face eviction or homelessness.
Research shows spikes in food bank use can be a warning of a rise in homelessness
These stories are an important indicator that more people and families are struggling to get by in Ontario – and they mirror what has been found by recent research and our real-time data.
In a study from McMaster University, researchers observed that only 4% of Hamilton households who needed the help of a food bank to get by had stable housing situations. But what’s even more troubling is that the study also showed nearly half said they would likely be homeless without the support of a food bank.
This idea was further explored by the University of Calgary, where a team of researchers compared data from the Calgary Food Bank and the Calgary Homeless Foundation. When linking the data, researchers found that nearly 60% of people entering a homelessness shelter for the first time had used a food bank at least once in the past five years. For both people and families, the amount of support they needed from the food bank increased sharply in the year before they entered the shelter.
Food bank use and homelessness in Ontario
Our own data, collected from Ontario’s food bank network, also shows a connection between growing food bank use and rising homelessness. When comparing the demand for food banks with the estimated number of people experiencing homelessness in the province, we found that spikes in food bank use tend to come before surges in homelessness.
The Association of Municipalities of Ontario predicts that the number of people experiencing homelessness could grow from 80,000 today to 300,000 in just 10 years if things don’t change. In the last year food bank visits have risen by 13%, a warning sign that this reality may come to pass.
As over 1 million Ontarians exhaust all their options and fall deeper into poverty, rising homelessness will have significant consequences for both the province and the people experiencing it. Homelessness can create long-term impacts – like health and safety risks and interactions with the justice system that can make it challenging to find employment – ultimately making it even harder to move out of poverty and regain stability.
How you can help
Hunger doesn’t just hurt people and families, hunger hurts our communities and it hurts our province.
Food banks are playing an essential role in their communities, helping those in need navigate a rough patch and actively preventing more people and families from facing homelessness. But we can’t continue this work alone.
If you’re interested in making a difference and helping us build a future where all Ontarians can thrive, you can sign our petition to tell the Province it’s time to prioritize poverty reduction, or support our work making sure food banks in communities across our province can be there for those who need them.