NYHealth Senior Program Assistant, Liz Ward, M.P.A., submitted the following testimony on April 3, 2025, at the New York City Council Committee on General Welfare Oversight – Hunger and Food Insecurity in New York City.
The New York Health Foundation (NYHealth) is a private, independent foundation that seeks to improve the health of all New Yorkers, especially people of color and others who have been historically marginalized. Through our Healthy Food, Healthy Lives program, we support policies and programs that connect New Yorkers with the food they need to thrive. Our work has provided us with in-depth knowledge of the widespread impact food insecurity has on the health of children, families, and communities.
NYHealth has a longstanding commitment to fighting hunger. Since 2014, we have invested millions of dollars to improve food security across New York State. For example, NYHealth has supported campaigns to improve the quality of food in the emergency food system, to make it easier for individuals to access nutrition benefit programs, and to expand universal school meals across the State. Notably, NYHealth’s investments helped secure universal free school lunch for New York City’s 1.1 million public school children.
Access to nutritious food affects health. Food-insecure New Yorkers are twice as likely as their food-secure counterparts to report poor health.[1] They are also more likely to have lower diet quality, higher rates of diet-related disease, and higher healthcare costs.[2],,[3],[4]
Hunger is at the Highest Point in Five Years
Despite considerable State investment, food insecurity remains a serious concern for millions of New Yorkers. For the past five years, NYHealth has tracked food insufficiency—a more severe, short-term version of food insecurity—in New York State using U.S. Census data. Our most recent analysis shows that, in 2024, food insufficiency rates in New York are higher than they were during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.[5] The recent rise in food insufficiency is likely due to the expiration of federal pandemic-era safety net programs—such as increased Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, expanded Child Tax Credits, and pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) payments.
Disparities persist. Nearly 1 in 5 Black and 1 in 7 Hispanic New Yorkers experienced food insufficiency last year, compared with 1 in 11 white New Yorkers. Nearly a third of New Yorkers in the lowest income bracket (those with annual income of less than $25,000) experienced food insufficiency, 13 times the rate for New Yorkers in the highest income bracket (those with annual income of $100,000 or more).[6] Stronger safety net programs are critical, especially for historically marginalized populations in New York.
Recent federal cuts to the safety net make City investment all the more critical. Just last month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture cut more than $1.6 billion in food assistance by ending the Local Food Purchase Assistance and Local Food for Schools programs—slashing $500 million from food banks and $660 million from schools.[7] The agency also paused $500 million in funding for The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), effectively freezing half of the program’s entire budget.[8] In real terms, this means shipments of poultry, produce, eggs, cheese, and other essential foods that were destined for food banks won’t arrive. In New York City alone, 2.5 million meals are at risk.
Considering these recent data and policy developments, we recommend the below actions to address food insecurity in New York City:
Continue to invest in the Community Food Connection program. With 1.4 million New Yorkers relying on emergency food each year, the City’s support for programs like Community Food Connection (CFC) is vital.[9] Many families don’t qualify for nutrition benefits—or still struggle even with them—making emergency food essential. An NYHealth survey on Food and Health found that most pantry visitors are satisfied with the food offered, and two-thirds say the food is high quality and something their families enjoy.[10]
Thanks to advocacy by New York City Food Policy Alliance members like Equity Advocates, West Side Campaign Against Hunger, and Met Council, the City allocated $52 million for emergency food, including $30 million in new funds to make fresh produce a permanent part of the system.[11] But with food insufficiency rising, these investments must grow to meet the need. The City should continue to work with advocates to expand CFC and ensure all New Yorkers can access fresh, nutritious food when they need it most.
Ensure timely payment of City contracts. Nonprofits—especially those providing emergency food—are essential to New York City’s social safety net. Federal cuts threaten their financial stability, but the City can act now by paying what it owes. More than $4 billion in federal aid supports this work, yet many service providers are still waiting on overdue City payments.[12] The City must honor its commitments and pay providers on time to keep these critical services running.
Use your collective voice to oppose harmful federal cuts. NYHealth is grateful for the City’s shared commitment to food security. We urge the City Council to continue its leadership by protecting emergency food investments, pushing for timely nonprofit payments, and using its voice to oppose harmful federal cuts. Together, we can ensure all New Yorkers have reliable access to the nutritious food they need to live healthy, dignified lives.
References
[1] New York Health Foundation. “NYHealth Survey of Food and Health.” August 2022. https://nyhealthfoundation.org/resource/nyhealth-survey-of-food-and-health-2022/.
[2] Morales, M.E.; Berkowitz, S.A. The relationship between food insecurity, dietary patterns, and obesity. Current Nutr Rep. 2016;5(1):54-60.
[3] Gregory, C.A.; Coleman-Jensen, A. Food insecurity, chronic disease, and health among working-age adults. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service. 2017;235. https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/publications/84467/err-235.pdf.
[4] Berkowitz, S.A.; Basu, S.; Meigs, J.B.; Seligman. H.K. Food insecurity and health care expenditures in the United States, 2011-2013. Health Services Research. 2018;53(3):1600-1620.
[5] Okonkwo, C. Ford, M. McCarthy, J. Barrett, A. Havusha, A. Sandman, D. 2025. “Hunger on the Rise: New York’s Food Insufficiency Rates Hit New Highs and Exceed Pandemic Levels.” New York Health Foundation. 2024. https://nyhealthfoundation.org/resource/hunger-on-the-rise-nys-food-insufficiency-2024update/.
[6] Okonkwo, C. Ford, M. McCarthy, J. Barrett, A. Havusha, A. Sandman, D. 2025. “Hunger on the Rise: New York’s Food Insufficiency Rates Hit New Highs and Exceed Pandemic Levels.” New York Health Foundation. 2024. https://nyhealthfoundation.org/resource/hunger-on-the-rise-nys-food-insufficiency-2024update/.
[7] Brown, M. “USDA Cancels $1B in Local Food Purchasing for Schools, Food Banks.” Politico. March 10, 2025. https://www.politico.com/news/2025/03/10/usda-cancels-local-food-purchasing-for-schools-food-banks-00222796.
[8] Brown, M. “USDA Halts Millions of Dollars Worth of Deliveries to Food Banks.” Politico. March 19, 2025. https://www.politico.com/news/2025/03/19/usda-halts-deliveries-food-banks-trump-00239453.
[9] NYHealth. “Equity Advocates.” https://nyhealthfoundation.org/grantee/equity-advocates-2/.
[10] New York Health Foundation. “NYHealth Survey of Food and Health.” August 2022. https://nyhealthfoundation.org/resource/nyhealth-survey-of-food-and-health-2022/.
[11] NYHealth. “Equity Advocates.” https://nyhealthfoundation.org/grantee/equity-advocates-2/.
[12] N.Y.C. Comptroller Brand Lander. “NYC Comptroller Lander Convenes Nonprofit Leaders Amid Trump Administration’s Threats to Health and Social Service Funding.” March 27, 2025. https://comptroller.nyc.gov/newsroom/nyc-comptroller-lander-convenes-nonprofit-leaders-amid-trump-administrations-threats-to-health-and-social-service-funding/.
