Food insecurity is disrupting family well-being across NYC, but there are straightforward solutions that we can implement at the State and City level to reduce child poverty and increase health outcomes.

Safeguarding food security reduces the prevalence of child poverty and contributes to better health, education, and community outcomes across a child’s life. Now, with the cost-of-living crisis impacting grocery affordability and child hunger, data tell a story about shrinking food supports for families and the effect on children. Even as affordability drops, SNAP is under threat in New York and across the country as Congress considers a budget that would slash $300 billion from SNAP over the next 10 years, cutting this lifeline program by nearly 30%. Families, already dealing with the high cost of household needs like housing and child care, would have to choose between feeding their children and paying rent. Collectively, these facts make it imperative that outspoken anti-hunger work must continue. Let’s break down what’s happening around food security advocacy in New York.  

A New Report Illuminates Barriers 

On April 30, New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli released a report, The Cost of Living in New York City: Food, analyzing data on “food-at-home” affordability in the metropolitan area. In his press release, DiNapoli explains that higher food costs have hit household budgets in New York City hard, with price increases outpacing income growth. The report shows that NYC food prices have risen 25.2% since 2019, hitting low-income households and “food desert” neighborhoods the hardest. According to the latest data available from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in NYC, food costs made up the fourth largest share of overall annual household spending (12.5%) at $11,288, exceeding the national average in the US at $9,664. In NYC, this spending amount represents a 56% change from 2013, just 10 years earlier.  

These facts are especially concerning when considering the funding landscape at the federal level, including tariffs, potential assistance program cuts, and already canceled funding for food support programming.  

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a Deeply Important Tool  

SNAP is widely considered the first line of defense against childhood hunger across the U.S. and data from our Keeping Track of NYC’s Children 2024 report underscores this consensus. In 2022, more than 1 million NYC households (1,009,964) were enrolled in SNAP, which was also the first time enrollment passed 1 million since 2012. Across the state, about 37% of households with children rely on SNAP to support their at-home food security. The need is clear.  

CCC has been advocating for New York State leaders to implement a $100 SNAP minimum benefit. Currently, the minimum is $23 per month, which, with the rising cost of groceries, does not go far. CCC continues to support a SNAP increase bill currently co-sponsored by Senator Rachel May and Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas to address the affordability crisis impacting grocery costs. Although a SNAP minimum benefit increase was not included in this year’s NYS budget, CCC will continue advocating for this important solution to fight food insecurity. Related, data on the pandemic-era expansion of SNAP proved how an increase in the minimum has ample power to impact poverty reduction. An Urban Institute study estimated that the SNAP Emergency Allotments kept 4.2 million people above the poverty line in the last quarter of 2021, reducing child poverty by 14% across the U.S.  

Unfortunately, the House budget passed on May 22 includes $300 billion in cuts to SNAP over the next decade, threatening access to the 2.9 million New Yorkers who receive SNAP benefits, including households with school-age children. If this budget is enacted, it will increase food insecurity for many New York children, especially in NYC. Right now, CCC has an active digital letter campaign urging our Congressional representatives to fight the cuts to both SNAP and Medicaid. Click the button below to take action to help protect SNAP.  

Other NYC Food Programs Are Also Critical  

CCC data from Keeping Track of NYC’s Children 2024 shows that In 2023, the number of individuals served in food pantries topped 7.5 million, an indication of the widespread affordability crisis for many New Yorkers in the city. City Harvest reported to Gothamist that right now, about a million children and their families are relying on New York City food pantries every month. This represents an 89% increase in pantry visits by families with children compared to 2019. Additionally, many advocates speculate that as SNAP benefits decrease due to federal cuts, more and more families will need support from local food pantries and kitchens.  

Our ongoing City Budget advocacy includes securing additional funding for an important food security program in NYC run by the Human Resource Administration, Community Food Connection (CFC). CFC provides funding to over 700 food pantries and community kitchens throughout NYC while also working with food banks and other organizations to distribute food items. With the rise in need for food pantries, the City must invest additional funds to this beneficial program. This is why CCC is advocating for increased, baselined funding for CFC at $100 million. Early in the year the Mayor’s Preliminary Budget cut funding for this important program. This year’s Executive Budget, however, does restore funding to CFC at $36.1 million, but it is funding for just one-year as it is not baselined. We will continue to fight for an increase and baseline of funding for this essential program on which the data shows millions of families rely.  

CCC’s other NYC-based food security priorities include supporting City Council bills that address application protocols for food service programs and funding for community-led food projects. Click here to read City Council testimony from CCC Policy Associate Jenny Veloz in April on food security advocacy. On May 16, Jenny also co-submitted testimony with the rest of CCC’s Policy Team to the NYC Council’s Executive Budget Hearing on General Welfare. This testimony references the above CFC investments that should be included in the Adopted Budget as well as other important food security investments. From the testimony, CCC is advocating for the following: 

• Increase and baseline funding for the Community Food Connections (CFC) program to $100 million to meet the growing demand for food assistance across New York City, including enhanced access to fresh food.  
• Increase funding for free Health Bucks, New York City’s longstanding farmers market SNAP incentive program, which has been baselined at $500,000 for several years but is no longer sufficient to meet growing demand.  
• Create a $5 million Food Justice Fund for community-led project designed to grow food justice and build wealth in BIPOC and low-income communities.  
• We also support the continuation of funding for the following City Council Initiatives:  
  • $8.26 million for Food Pantries  
  • $1.5 million for Food Access and Benefits Initiatives  
  • $2.134 million for the Access to Healthy Food and Nutritional Education Initiative 

Read our FY26 NYC Executive Budget overview here.