For Immediate Release: 9/7/16
Contact: Celia Cole, 512.590.0659 or ccole@feedingtexas.org
Austin, TX – One in six Texas households struggled to avoid hunger in 2013-2015 despite low unemployment statewide, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture report released today. 15.4% percent of Texas households experienced “food insecurity” in that time period, meaning they faced hunger or engaged in coping mechanisms to avoid it.
“The Texas economy is strong but it is leaving too many people behind,” said Celia Cole, CEO of Feeding Texas. “It is unacceptable that one in six Texas families is faced with choosing between food and other needs because they can’t keep up with the rising cost of living, or lack the resources to weather a crisis.”
The report found the national food insecurity rate during the same time period was just 13.7%. In raw numbers, 1.5 million Texas households were food insecure, more than any other state except California.
“The families seeking help from our food banks are chronically hungry because they are economically insecure,” said Cole. “The immediate solution is to get more resources to these struggling Texans to help them avoid hunger. But we also need to increase their access to economic opportunity to break the cycle that leads to food insecurity. That means strengthening public supports like SNAP and school meals, empowering families with opportunities to improve their health and financial security, and taking a hard look at why our economy is not producing jobs with earnings that allow Texas workers to get ahead.”
In related news, this week Texas officials announced the end of the Lite Up Texas program, a popular transfer designed to help low-income Texans pay their electricity bills. 71% of Texas food bank clients report choosing between paying for food or utilities, according to the national group Feeding America.
“We’re concerned about the effect this could have on our clients and food banks,” said Cole. “Anything that takes resources away from a low-income family means less food on the dinner plate and more strain on private charities.”
The USDA report is available here. Feeding Texas leads a unified effort for a hunger-free Texas.