Status Report on Hunger and Homelessness in America’s Cities

Posted by on December 23, 2013

Status Report on Hunger and Homelessness in America’s Cities

Executive Summary
This report presents the results of a survey of 25 of the cities whose mayors serve on The U.S. Conference of Mayors’ Task Force on Hunger and Homelessness. Officials were asked to provide information on the extent and causes of hunger and homelessness in their cities, and the emergency food assistance and homeless services provided, between September 1, 2012 and August 31, 2013. They also were asked for their assessment of the demand for services and the resources available to them in the year ahead. This year’s survey found continuing increases in demand for services and continuing shortfalls in meeting service needs. Among its key findings:

Hunger

– All but four of the survey cities (83 percent) reported that requests for emergency food assistance increased over the past year. Three cities said requests remained at the same level as the previous year and one said they decreased. Across the survey cities, emergency food assistance requests increased by an average of 7 percent.

– Among those requesting emergency food assistance, 58 percent were persons in families, 43 percent were employed, 21 percent were elderly, and 9 percent were homeless.

– Unemployment led the list of causes of hunger cited by the survey cities, followed by low wages, poverty, and high housing costs.

– The cities reported a 7 percent average increase in the number of pounds of food distributed during the past year. Collectively, the survey cities distributed a total of 557 million pounds of food.

– Across the responding cities, budgets for emergency food purchases increased by less than 1 percent. Collectively, the survey cities’ emergency food budget totaled $324 million.

The U.S. Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are 1,398 such cities in the country today, each represented in the Conference by its chief elected official, the Mayor.

http://www.usmayors.org/pressreleases/uploads/2013/1210-report-HH.pdf