San Diego Hunger Coalition
Research Reports
September 2023 Data: Nutrition Insecurity & Missing Meals
As of September 2023, the nutrition insecurity rate for San Diego County has increased to 25%, meaning that one in four people in the county cannot afford three nutritious meals per day. This comes amid about 6 months of gradual increases in nutrition insecurity, up from 22% in September 2022.
June 2023 Data: Nutrition Insecurity & Missing Meals
As of June 2023, nearly 1 in 4 (24%) San Diegans experience nutrition insecurity, or are unable to provide three, nutritious meals per day for themselves and/or their families.
March 2023 Issue Brief: State of Nutrition Insecurity in San Diego County
As of March 2023, the San Diego County population continued to face a nutrition insecurity rate of about 1 in every 4 people. This comes after nutrition insecurity levels finally started decreasing in March 2022 after the sharp increase at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Download the March 2023 Issue Brief
December 2022 Issue Brief: Nutrition Insecurity & Missing Meals
Nutrition insecurity levels increased in the fourth quarter of 2022. In December, San Diego Hunger Coalition estimates 23% of the population (758,000 people) in San Diego County were nutrition insecure, meaning they live in a household without sufficient income to purchase three healthy meals per day. This represents an increase from September’s estimates, resulting in an additional 30,000 people estimated to be nutrition insecure in December.
Download the December 2022 Issue Brief
September 2022 Issue Brief: Nutrition Insecurity & Missing Meals
Nutrition insecurity levels continued to decrease in the third quarter of 2022. In September, San Diego Hunger Coalition estimates 22% of the population (726,000 people) in San Diego County were nutrition insecure, meaning they live in a household without sufficient income to purchase three healthy meals per day. Despite the continual decrease in the prevalence or rate of nutrition insecurity, the need for food assistance among nutrition insecure households was higher than normal in September 2022 as these economic trends further reduced their purchasing power.
Download the September 2022 Issue Brief
Hunger Free Mountain Empire: 2022 Community Food Survey
In Summer 2022, San Diego Hunger Coalition worked with partner organizations to create and conduct a survey to gather data on food needs and availability among communities in San Diego County’s Mountain Empire, which includes rural towns like Campo, Descanso, and Pine Valley. The survey found that 73% of respondents ran out of self-purchased food in the prior six months and did not have money to buy more, 70% were not able to afford as many fresh foods as they’d like, and 41% said they or someone in their family skipped meals or ate less because there wasn’t enough money for food.
Download the Food Survey Report
June 2022 Data Release: Nutrition Insecurity Rates
We are happy to report that for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, nutrition insecurity levels are below the levels achieved in 2019, or pre-pandemic numbers. In June 2022, San Diego Hunger Coalition estimates 23% (755,000 people) of people in San Diego County were nutrition insecure, meaning they did not have sufficient income to purchase three healthy meals per day. Despite the decrease, though, families throughout the county continued to struggle with inflation in June. Due to the combination of higher prices and low wage jobs, the need for food assistance among nutrition insecure households was higher than normal as families experienced a decrease in purchasing power for food.
March 2022 Data Release: Nutrition Insecurity Remains Above Pre-pandemic Levels and Impacts Communities of Color Most
The San Diego Hunger Coalition’s March 2022 Nutrition Insecurity Data Release reveals that while nutrition insecurity has decreased from 2021’s 30% rate of insecurity to a 28% rate, we’re still not at 2019’s decade low of 25% due to rising costs of living and increased household debt from the COVID-19 pandemic. Communities of color are disproportionately impacted by rates of food insecurity, with Hispanic/Latino communities having the highest rate of nutrition insecurity at nearly 39% and the Black community having the second highest rate at almost 37%, compared to the white population at 18%. This is a data-backed reminder that nutrition is a critical racial equity issue for our county to address. These findings show the importance of advocating for policy change that reduces hunger and increases access to healthy food.
The State of Nutrition Security in San Diego County: Before, during and beyond the COVID-19 Crisis
The San Diego Hunger Coalition (SDHC) estimates that approximately 1 in 3 San Diegans experience nutrition insecurity. This is up from approximately 1 in 4 San Diegans in 2019, the lowest rate since the Great Recession. The COVID-19 pandemic erased many of the gains made in the decade following the last recession, and disproportionately impacted low-income workers and those working in the informal economy. The mobilization of resources to address hunger during this period provides a valuable precedent for strengthening the social safety net during this crisis and beyond.
Download the 2021 State of Nutrition Security in San Diego County Issue Brief
2021 Meals Count Issue Brief
Meals Count is a collaboration between Open San Diego, Nourish California, San Diego Hunger Coalition and No Kid Hungry. Meals Count is a free, interactive, and customizable online tool that enables school districts, charter schools, and county offices of education to maximize CEP (Community Eligibility Provision) eligibility and funding, making universal free meal programs both attainable and sustainable at more schools.
2017 San Diego Food Insecurity Issue Brief
According to the latest research by the San Diego Hunger Coalition, an estimated 443,000 (1 in 7) people in San Diego County experienced food insecurity in 2017. This represents 302,000 adults and 141,000 children who did not always have enough food for an active, healthy life. This research was conducted with input and guidance from the Hunger Free San Diego advisory board, a collaboration of agencies facilitated by San Diego Hunger Coalition.
Where do Hungry San Diegans Get Food?
2016 Food Assistance Landscape
In San Diego, 1 in 7 people are food insecure. When people don’t have enough to eat, where do they turn to put food on the table? This issue brief was prepared by San Diego Hunger Coalition with input and guidance from the Hunger Free San Diego Advisory Board. It shows how various programs from food banks to CalFresh, from school meals to WIC help people facing hunger meet their basic needs.
Hunger Free Kids: Opportunities by District to End Hunger
School breakfast and lunch, summer meals, and afterschool supper are just some of the ways we can end child hunger. This report is the first to take a deep look at San Diego’s efforts to feed more kids through federally funded child nutrition programs.
Addressing Food Insecurity in Family Medicine and Medical Education
Published in the November-December 2017 issue of Society of Teachers of Family Medicine
Food insecurity is associated with poor health outcomes, yet is not routinely addressed in health care. This study was conducted to determine if education regarding food insecurity as a health issue could modify knowledge, attitudes, and clinical behavior.
Launching Rx for CalFresh in San Diego: Integrating Food Security into Healthcare Settings
A groundbreaking report identifying ways to help integrate food insecurity screenings and access to food assistance resources into healthcare settings - starting right here in San Diego.
This report is a result of work by the Hunger Coalition and its partners to train practitioners and pilot various models for identifying and addressing food insecurity among patients in five distinct healthcare settings throughout San Diego County.
The best practices presented in this report will help more healthcare providers support those struggling with hunger.
Help Them Eat at Home: A Report for Policymakers, Anti-hunger Advocates and Administrators of the Summer Food Service Program
Based on interviews with fifty San Diego families at feeding sites, this April 2014 report evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of the federal Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). It stresses the importance of the Summer EBT for Children (SEBTC) option.
Health and Hunger Report: An Assessment of social service models integrating CalFresh and Medi-Cal in community based organizations in San Diego
A report recognizing current models of CalFresh and Medi-Cal integration and providing recommendations to support additional organizations to move towards further integrating and streamlining their application assistance programming. It is based on the observations and experiences of resident groups, county- and state-level stakeholders, and community based organizations that provide application assistance.
The report breaks out four different models, providing client and organization considerations. It also provides overarching considerations and discusses the necessary resources to implement any of the integration models shared.
