Who’s Hungry 2026
Daily Bread Food Bank has released Who’s Hungry 2026, its annual report examining poverty and food insecurity in Toronto.
One in eight Toronto children now lives in a household that relies on a food bank, nearly double the 1 in 15 recorded in 2022. For the second year in a row, Toronto recorded 4.1 million food bank visits, a staggering number that shows no signs of declining.
The findings of Daily Bread Food Bank’s Who’s Hungry 2026 report paint a troubling picture of a city where children and youth are paying the steepest price for a growing affordability crisis. What was once an emergency measure has become a long-term necessity for hundreds of thousands of Torontonians.
At the heart of this crisis are unaffordable housing and incomes that have failed to keep pace with the cost of living. Eighty-five per cent of food bank clients are renters, and 82% live in unaffordable housing. After paying for housing, clients have a median of just $8.33 a day left for food and other essentials—barely enough for a round-trip TTC fare or a single load of laundry. For 1 in 4 clients, housing costs consume all their income, leaving nothing for basic necessities. When rent eats first, families are forced to make impossible choices.
But hunger is not inevitable, and solutions are within reach. Governments have the power to address the housing crisis and create the conditions for everyone to live with dignity.
The findings are clear. The time for change is now. Take Action by signing our petition calling on elected officials to ensure everyone has access to a safe, stable and affordable place to call home.
