OCFP Addresses Community Services Committee: A Call for Meaningful, Long-Term Investment in Food Security

This week, the Ottawa Community Food Partnership (OCFP) delivered a delegation to the City of Ottawa’s Community Services Committee (CSC), urging Council to take bold, long-term action to address the escalating food insecurity crisis affecting residents across the city.

Speaking on behalf of OCFP and the Food Security Pillar Working Group of the Poverty Reduction Strategy, our Chair Kate Veinot (of Just Food) emphasized both appreciation for the City’s proposed increase to sustainability funding and the urgent need for much more.

OCFP began by acknowledging the City’s proposed 15% increase to food security sustainability funding in the 2026 Budget. This increase represents meaningful progress, and signals that Council understands the immense and growing pressures facing frontline food organizations.

However, as the delegation made clear, this 15% increase serves as catch-up, not transformation.

Community food organizations across Ottawa are still absorbing years of rising costs, inflationary pressures, and unprecedented demand. Even with the 15% increase, many groups remain at risk of “keeping their heads barely above water,” unable to scale their programs or make needed infrastructure investments.

The recent Food Security Symposium, held by the Food Security Pillar Working Group (of which OCFP chairs, and which is comprised of the City’s Community Safety Wellbeing Office and other community organizations - many of which are OCFP partners) showcased the innovative ideas and community-driven solutions already emerging across neighbourhoods. But OCFP was informed in advance that no additional funds would be available to implement new strategies.

This limitation shaped what could, and importantly, what could not, be discussed.

As our delegation stated: “We can’t keep the current, broken system afloat and change that very system within the same resources.”

Without meaningful investment, community organizations are asked to solve a worsening crisis without the tools required to succeed.

Based on City figures, the proposed 15% increase amounts to $476,000, plus a standard 2.5% inflationary adjustment for a total increase of $571,000 for food security in 2026.

By comparison, for one example, the City is proposing $135 million for road resurfacing alone.

As the delegation noted, road repairs are important, but not as critical as ensuring residents have access to food.

Food is not optional. Food is foundational. Food is life.

Our Questions to Council

OCFP urged Council to consider what true impact requires:

• How will Council ensure this strategy is resourced in a way that leads to measurable change, rather than maintaining the status quo?

• How will existing programs, many of which already have proven success, receive the long-term, stable funding needed to expand and meet growing demand?

• How will budget decisions reduce barriers for residents, including through affordability measures such as freezing transit fares?

• How will sustainability funding keep pace with actual inflation, food price increases, and escalating demand?

OCFP reiterated sincere appreciation for the proposed 15% increase. It is meaningful. It reflects Council’s recognition that this work matters, and that the people we serve matter.

But the message was clear: this cannot be the final step.

We can build a future where food security is not defined by emergency response, but by resilience, community capacity, and equitable access for all. But this requires investment that matches the scale of the crisis.

As OCFP stated in closing:

“We need the City of Ottawa to invest in food security like its residents’ lives depend on it, because they do.”

To watch the full delegation, please view here: