Food Banks Sound the Alarm as Bill 60 Puts Renters at Greater Risk

Representatives from more than 68 food banks and community groups gathered at Queen’s Park to deliver a clear warning: Ontario’s Bill 60 could worsen housing insecurity and push more residents toward emergency food services already struggling to meet record demand. Speakers at the media conference said the bill would speed up evictions, reduce the time tenants have to catch up on rent, and limit their ability to defend themselves at hearings. Chiara Padovani and Sarah Watson from North York Harvest stressed that food banks are seeing unprecedented demand, driven largely by households spending nearly all their income on rent. Diana Chan McNally, a Community Outreach Worker, highlighted how shelters, municipalities, and frontline agencies are stretched thin, while Megan Kee of No Demovictions emphasized that vulnerable communities would bear the brunt—facing worsening housing and food insecurity as landlords and developers gain more power. For Toronto’s Downtown East, the message hits close to home. Regent Park TV recently reported record lineups at Allan Gardens Food Bank, where rising rents and unstable housing are pushing more residents to seek help. Bill 60 threatens to intensify these pressures for families already struggling to stay housed and fed. Understanding how Bill 60 deepens both housing and food insecurity is essential for protecting community stability here in Regent Park and across the Downtown East.