Even prior to COVID-19, 1.9 million New Yorkers were experiencing food insecurity, including one in five children. Data from the Census Bureau show that the pandemic has only exacerbated the city’s hunger crisis, particularly for families of color. City leaders must act now to strengthen anti-hunger supports for the most marginalized New Yorkers.

The COVID-19 pandemic has tested the capacity of the U.S. safety net to meet the urgent needs of families with children. Recent Federal stimulus money – distributed in late December, and more recently in March – staved off growing food insufficiency and hardship for households with children. Still, in the New York Metro Area, close to half of households with children (46%) report difficulties in paying for their usual household expenses, such as food, transportation, and housing.

Read our two-page report “Feeding New York City Families: Keeping Track of Food Insecurity in 2021” by downloading it below.