Strong and Robust Investments in Food and Nutrition Supports Will Increase Food Security for NYC Children
Testimony & Public Comments
April 3, 2025
On Thursday, April 3, Policy Associate Jenny Veloz submitted testimony to the NYC Council’s Oversight Hearing on hunger and food insecurity. On behalf of CCC, the testimony demonstrates support of increased investments in anti-hunger programs to alleviate food insecurity among the city’s children and families, including baselining funding in the budget for food initiatives and supporting City Council bills that address application protocols for food service programs like SNAP.
Read the full testimony below.
Testimony of Jenny Veloz, Policy Associate
Citizens’ Committee for Children of New York
Submitted to the New York City Council
Oversight Hearing on Hunger and Food Insecurity in New York City
April 3, 2025
Since 1944, Citizens’ Committee for Children of New York has served as an independent, multi-issue child advocacy organization. CCC does not accept or receive public resources, provide direct services, or represent a sector or workforce; our priority is improving outcomes for children and families through research and advocacy. We document the facts, engage and mobilize New Yorkers, and advocate for solutions to ensure that every New York child is healthy, housed, educated, and safe.
We would like to thank Chair Ayala and all the members of the Committee on General Welfare for holding today’s oversight hearing on hunger and food insecurity. To ensure the health and well-being of New York City children, we must make strong and robust investments in food and nutrition supports for all families in the city.
New York leaders must continue to address the widespread hunger crisis exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the State Comptroller’s May 2024 report on food insecurity, from 2020-2022, 11.3% of households in New York State experienced food insecurity, an increase from 10.3% during the period of 2019-2021.[i] This same report also highlights that households with children continue to experience the highest rates of food insufficiency when compared to households without children. In 2022, 16 percent of households with children experienced food insufficiency. Although that number decreased to 15.1% in 2023, it was still higher than the 10% of households without children.
With the federal government proposing cuts of up to $230 million over 10 years for SNAP, households with low incomes in all states would lose vital anti-hunger resources, worsening food insecurity. New York City could lose up to $870 million a year, affecting families already struggling with expenses such as rent, childcare, transportation and food.[ii] Although these potential cuts will impact households across the five boroughs, children will continue to be disproportionately impacted by SNAP cuts, with 560,000 children in the city receive SNAP.[iii] New York City’s economy will also be affected by federal cuts to SNAP, as families will have less purchasing power and more families will be forced to rely on city resources like food pantries.
Anti-hunger programs like Community Food Connections (CFC) are a vital resource for families needing extra help in accessing healthy food options. Food-insecure families rely on food pantries and kitchens when they are unable to afford groceries. Community Food Connection provides funding to over 500 pantries and soup kitchens to help New Yorkers access food. Funding for programs like CFC is critical to combat food insecurity in New York City.
It is imperative that New York City continue to fund and invest in programs that are vital to the health and well-being of families and children. These food initiatives play a crucial role in ensuring families have the food and nutrition supports needed to thrive. Therefore we recommend the following investments in the CFY26 Budget to help fight food insecurity:
- Increase funding for Community Food Connection program to $100 million and baseline that funding. This funding will meet the growing demand for food assistance across New York City, including enhanced access to fresh food.
- Increase funding for free Health Bucks. Health Bucks, managed by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, are $2 coupons that can be used to buy fresh fruits and vegetables at New York City farmers markets, and are given to shoppers as a SNAP incentive. The current funding level for community and faith-based organizations has remained static at $200,000 for several years, which is no longer sufficient to meet growing demand.
- Create a $5 million Food Justice Fund for community-led projects designed to grow food justice and build wealth in BIPOC and low-income communities, aimed at addressing food insecurity and promoting a more equitable sustainable food system by distributing funds to community projects tackling these issues.
We also urge city leaders to continue funding the following City Council initiatives:
- $8.26 million for Food Pantry
- $2.134 for Access to Healthy Food and Nutrition Education
- $1.5 million for Food Access and Benefits
Additionally, we recognize the importance of having reliable systems in place to ensure that anyone applying for benefits programs, such as SNAP, can do so efficiently and without cumbersome protocols. Therefore, we support the following City Council bills:
- Introduction 245: Would establish a universal benefits application.
- Introduction 1028: Would result in automatic enrollment in city-created benefit programs. We recommend bill language be modified to enable enrollees to opt-in to other programs. Opting in allows enrollees to determine whether they want to apply to programs without the worry of potential harm.
- Introduction 1148: Would require the Department of Social Services to provide a receipt for benefit applications or services.
Thank you for your time and consideration on this critical issue for children’s health and well-being. We look forward to continuing to work with the City Council and Administration to make sure that all New York City families and children have access to the nutritional supports they need and deserve to be healthy and thrive.
