Contact: Arica VanBoxtel, vanboxtel@nyhealthfoundation.org
October 8, 2025, New York, NY – More than half of older adults in New York State report difficulty accessing affordable, quality food, according to a new report by the New York Health Foundation (NYHealth).
The analysis, which pairs quantitative data and interviews with New Yorkers over the age of 60, sheds new light on the drivers of food insecurity among seniors. The voices of older New Yorkers tell real-life stories of the barriers they face and the wrenching financial trade-offs they make to feed themselves.
Key findings include:
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Financial constraints, difficulty walking to the store, using stairs, carrying heavy groceries, and traveling in difficult weather conditions are common barriers to food access among older adults.
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Older adults divert rent money, delay or miss utility payments, and rely on credit cards to purchase food.
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Older adults who use SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, rate the program highly. Yet more than half of those eligible don’t participate citing limited awareness, stigma, technology and language challenges, immigration concerns, and limited service hours.
“Recent cuts by the federal administration to food programs, especially the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), will leave New Yorkers hungrier, poorer, and sicker,” said David Sandman, Ph.D., President and CEO of NYHealth. “Our seniors should be able to nourish themselves and live with dignity.”
The report provides actionable, data-backed recommendations that can reduce hunger and support the health of older adults.
Key recommendations include:
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Maintain outreach for SNAP, including specific efforts to reach older adults where they are, and make SNAP application and recertification measures easier for older adults.
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Explore ways to cover the costs of grocery delivery for older adults and increase investment in home-delivered meal programs, including the Wellness In Nutrition (WIN) program.
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Reimagine congregate meals as opportunities for community connection, helping to destigmatize and generate broader interest among older adults of all incomes.
These findings and recommendations are particularly urgent given that the number of food-insecure older New Yorkers is likely to increase in the next decade. This age group is the fastest-growing in the State, and has disproportionately low incomes. Many older adults are also navigating retirement and aging on fixed or limited incomes that are not keeping pace with the rising cost of living in New York.
“Reliable access to nutritious food is vital to maintain health in older age and to manage chronic conditions,” said Julia McCarthy, Senior Program Officer of the Healthy Food, Healthy Lives program at NYHealth. “While we heard some heart-breaking stories, the evidence is also clear that the right policies and programs effectively reduce food insecurity, improve nutrition, promote better health, and lower health care costs for older adults.”
Food advocates and researchers will discuss the report findings and food insecurity more broadly at an upcoming conference in New York City on October 14, 2025. To apply for press credentials, email Arica VanBoxtel.
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The New York Health Foundation (NYHealth) is a private, statewide foundation dedicated to improving the health of all New Yorkers, especially people of color and others who have been historically marginalized. The Foundation is committed to making grants, informing health policy and practice, spreading effective programs to improve the health care system and the health of New Yorkers, serving as a convener of health leaders across the State, and providing technical assistance to its grantees and partners.
