Memorial University’s Harris Centre released its 2024 Vital Signs report today, an annual check-in on the quality of life in Newfoundland and Labrador.
The official theme of this year’s edition is, fittingly, the Cost of Living.
But the recurring theme swirls around people riding out the same storms but in very different boats, if lucky to have one at all.
The report cites the importance of understanding the three key challenges linked to the affordability crisis, including housing, food and making a living, with a focus on regional disparities and inequities among specific population groups.
Researchers used a sample size of 100 to broadly show how people are impacted by those issues, as well as and overall health.
Of those 100, 20 would have housing needs or feel they have fair or poor health, while 30 out of the 100 are pressed to provide the basics such as transportation, housing, food, clothing and other necessities.
The numbers also show food insecurity increased from 19 per cent in 2018 to 26 per cent in 2022.
Vital Signs is a collaboration between the Community Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador and MUN’s Harris Centre, providing data, stories and insight related to quality-of-life issues in the province.
A link to the report can be found here.