Prince Edward County is no exception when it comes to municipalities suffering the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
At Tuesday’s council meeting, councillors heard a presentation on the impact of the pandemic in the county from a representative of The County Foundation.
The study, conducted from March 2020 to March 2021, covers subjects including the economic impact, effects on mental and physical health, food insecurity, housing, education and more.
Brian Beilas of The County Foundation broke down the information from the massive, year-long study for councillors.
He said that the already poor housing situation in the county was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“COVID has intensified housing instability. The drop in income losses contribute to the difficulty in meeting housing costs. The risk of homelessness is increasing. Before the pandemic almost 50% of Prince Edward County renters and 23% of households overall were paying more than 30% of their household income on housing, which is really the affordability threshold. Since that time, rent has increased by 31% in the last year.”
Beiles said that from 2016 to 2020 the median house price in Prince Edward County increased by 75% with a 19% increase in 2020 alone. He also said from 2010 to 2016 the median household income only increased by 12%. Though he said they have no data beyond that, it’s reasonable to extrapolate that that rate has remained fairly flat in the time since.
Another point Beiles highlighted is that businesses are struggling to hire due to the lack of available affordable housing in the county.
The education sector and students were another affected area identified in the study.
According to the study, 37% of Prince Edward County kindergarten students are vulnerable in one or more of five domains that indicate their ability to learn and reach their full potential. The study also shows that the Hastings Prince Edward District School Board is below the provincial average for standardized testing scores for reading, writing and math in grades three to ten, especially in grades three to six.
Beiles explained the negative effect the pandemic had on students in the county.
“Existing academic challenges have been intensified by COVID disruptions. Certainly, online learning is especially difficult for low-income and rural students, many of whom had limited virtual access. K to 12 education did provide supports. The school board provided laptops and devices to families with limited technology. Also, there was enhanced mental health support provided by the school board and agencies such as the Recreation Outreach Centre.”
Another one of the major points highlighted in the study was food insecurity.
According to Beiles, there was a sharp increase of emergency food distribution in the county in 2020.
“The pandemic has increased the risk of food insecurity dramatically. In Canada, food insecurity has increased from 10.5% in 2017-18 to 14.6% during the pandemic. This equates to about 3,700 people in Prince Edward County. Emergency food distribution in the county has gone up 33% during 2020.”
Beiles noted that 65% of food insecure households are in the workforce. He said that the most at risk groups are households with low income, single parents and renters.
He noted that as a result, a number of food sharing services mobilized quickly to combat the issue including the food depot, the Prince Edward County Helpline, the PEC fresh food market and more.
The study was conducted in order to provide Prince Edward County council with information to help set goals and take action to move out of the pandemic and to “build back better.”
To see the executive summary of the study click here.
