Food insecurity soaring on P.E.I. even as the province’s poverty rate goes down [Video]

The number of people living in poverty on P.E.I. is dropping, but an increasing number of Islanders don’t have reliable access to affordable, healthy food, a legislative committee heard Wednesday.

MLAs received an update from members of the Department of Social Development and Seniors and the Department of Housing, Land and Communities on whether the province is on track with its goals when it comes to eliminating poverty.

Three years ago, the legislature passed the Poverty Elimination Strategy Act, aimed at completely getting rid of poverty in the province by 2035.

Other targets were scheduled to be reached by this Jan. 1.

The act envisioned a 25-per-cent reduction in poverty rates for all Islanders compared to six years ago. In 2022, the most recent data from Statistics Canada, the poverty rate had dropped 27 per cent.

For children the target was a 50-per-cent reduction in poverty, and so far it is down by 34 per cent.

During a legislative committee …