San Diego Hunger Coalition Releases Latest Food Insecurity Data for San Diego County – 1 in 6 Don’t Have Enough to Eat.

The San Diego Hunger Coalition has released its 2015 San Diego County Food Insecurity Analysis, which estimates more than half a million people (almost 1 in 6) don’t always have enough food for an active and healthy life. Of these people, nearly 162,000 are children, which is a shocking 1 in 5.

The San Diego Hunger Coalition’s food insecurity analysis is based on 2014 and 2015 data from the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS). The survey is conducted by the University of California, Los Angeles’ Center for Health Policy Research, and food security is evaluated for households below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level. San Diego Hunger Coalition’s analysis represents the most current and accurate understanding of food insecurity rates in San Diego County.

While common myths associated with people who rely on federal food assistance programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), known as CalFresh in California, suggest that many benefitting from these programs do not work, the Hunger Coalition’s analysis found that more than half (56.1%) of food insecure adults have a job, and nearly half (49.1%) are living with a disability.  Other key findings were that approximately 40 percent of low-income adults and nearly half of low-income children are living in a food insecure household. The complete 2015 San Diego County Food Insecurity Data is available online here. 

Additionally, for the first-time San Diego’s anti-hunger community is also examining the population that responded to the CHIS survey as “food secure” but receiving CalFresh benefits. The Hunger Coalition estimates that more than 143,000 people (67,208 are children) who are below 200% of the poverty line are at risk of becoming food insecure if they lose their CalFresh/SNAP benefits. This could become a reality under President Trump’s recently released 2018 budget proposal which calls for $193 billion in cuts to SNAP over the next decade —25 percent of the federal program’s budget.

By regularly assessing our region's food insecurity landscape, San Diego County's anti-hunger community can identify data driven solutions to help connect our most vulnerable populations to the nutrition they need to thrive and be independent. Additionally, this data will be used to advocate for state and federal anti-hunger policies that help families in need put food on their tables.