U.S. Cities see sharp increases in the need for food assistance; decreases in individual homelessness

In the last year, U.S. cities have seen the sharpest increase in the demand for hunger assistance since 1991, an increase in family homelessness and a decrease or leveling in individual homelessness, according to a U. S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) report on the status of hunger and homelessness in 27 cities in America.

For more than 23 years, The Conference of Mayors has documented the magnitude of the issues of hunger and homelessness in our nation’s cities, as well as efforts cities are making to address these challenges.

The mayors’ report shows that on average, the need for emergency food assistance increased by 26 percent from last year. Cities also reported an increase in food requests from middle class households that used to donate to food pantries, as well as an increase in the frequency of repeat requests from those needing help.  When asked to report on the three main causes of hunger, respondents cited unemployment, housing costs and low wages respectively.

To combat hunger, many cities have instituted programs to address the challenge over the long term.  Examples of successful initiatives include gleaning food that would otherwise go to waste to supply food banks; programs that serve children during the summer and on weekends when they are not receiving subsidized meals at school; food banks offering greater diversity of foods to serve a diverse cultural-client base; and food pantries that help recipients to determine their eligibility for food stamps.  When looking to 2010, cities anticipate having a difficult time meeting the high demand for food assistance in the future because of high unemployment and high costs of living, in addition to the impact of state and local budget cuts.

In the area of homelessness, 19 cities (76 percent) reported an increase in family homelessness, while homelessness among individuals decreased or stayed the same for 16 of the 25 cities (64 percent).  Most of the cities that experienced drops in individual homelessness attribute the decline to a policy strategy by federal, state and local governments of instituting 10-year plans to end chronic homelessness among single adults.  Not surprisingly, the recession and a lack of affordable housing were cited as the top causes of family homelessness in the surveyed cities.

A copy of the report and survey questionnaire can be downloaded at The Conference of Mayors website at www.usmayors.org.