Requests for emergency food assistance in Phoenix increased by 5% over the past year, according to the 2012 U.S. Conference of Mayors Hunger and Homelessness survey released on December 20, 2012. These numbers are expected to increase next year, despite Congress considering cuts to programs like SNAP (Food Stamps) that benefit these low-income families.
“Hunger and homelessness are challenges for all American cities. With our current struggling economy, it is even more important now that we lend a helping hand to our neighbors,” Vice President of US Conference of Mayors and Mesa Mayor Scott Smith said.
The survey also noted that food pantries and emergency kitchens across Phoenix, in response to increased demand, had to turn people away or reduce the amount of food provided to individuals. In Phoenix, an estimated 20% of the demand for emergency food assistance has gone unmet at a time when record numbers of eligible individuals in Arizona are relying on SNAP benefits to feed their families.
“Cutting SNAP would mean even more of our vulnerable neighbors – seniors, working families, children, and individuals with disabilities – would struggle to feed themselves and their families,” said Ginny Hildebrand, president and CEO of the Association of Arizona Food Banks. “The U.S. Conference of Mayors survey clearly shows many people rely on the combination of help from food banks and SNAP to meet this very basic need. Any cuts to SNAP would take food away from those who need it the most and it is unconscionable to try to solve the country’s budget problems by harming the neediest among us.”
Polling data released by the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) earlier this year show that 75% of Americans think that cutting food assistance programs is the wrong way to reduce government spending. “Americans oppose cuts to SNAP, and they believe government should – and must – do more to address hunger,” said Jim Weill, president and CEO of FRAC.
The U.S. Conference of Mayors Hunger and Homelessness survey results for Phoenix are in line with other indicators showing how Arizona as a whole has struggled since the beginning of the recession. Recently released U.S. Census Bureau data showed 19.0% of individuals and 27.2% of children under the age of 18 in Arizona lived in poverty in 2011, while the latest food hardship and food insecurity data show one in five individuals and one in four of our children struggle with hunger and poverty. One in six Arizonans, of which half are children or seniors, receive SNAP benefits.
The annual U.S. Conference of Mayors Status Report on Hunger and Homelessness surveys 25 cities of varying size and wealth in all regions of the country, of which Phoenix is one. In general, the report revealed the number of hungry and homeless people is growing, and budget fights at the federal level are threatening the aid many need to provide adequate food or shelter for their household. Click here to view the full U.S. Conference of Mayors 2012 Status Report on Hunger and Homelessness (PDF).
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