A recent survey conducted in twelve California counties shows an extremely high rate of hunger among households receiving emergency food and other charitable services. This study, a collaborative effort between California Food Policy Advocates and local agencies supported by Catholic Charities and other organizations, provides a stark description of the continued need among California’s poorest households: mothers with children, immigrants, and single jobless adults.
The statewide results, based on face-to-face interviews with a random sample of 823 households at 26 emergency food and charitable social services agencies, indicate an very high prevalence of food insecurity and hunger among this group of extremely impoverished Californians. Nearly all (97%) clients in this study were living at or below the poverty line ($1,739 a month for a family of four), and over half (52%) were living in extreme poverty – less than 30% of the poverty threshold.
In comparison, among a very poor population (households with incomes below 50% of poverty) the 1995 Current Population Survey found an overall hunger prevalence of 17%. Thus, these results show rates of hunger in this population which are over three times higher than those found in a similarly very low income population three years ago.
Hunger results by individual agency site can be found in the full report.
Nearly two thirds (63%) of households with children under the age of 18 are experiencing food insecurity with moderate to severe hunger evident. This high level hunger of persists despite the fact that virtually all poor children are eligible for federal or state nutrition programs.
Among the 253 households who lost food stamps, 71% experienced food insecurity with moderate to severe hunger, compared to a 48% hunger rate among those who did not lose benefits. This large discrepancy was statistically significant and appears to occur predominantly in households with young children.
Immigrant families, who had some or all of their food stamps cut, had the highest percent of hungry households of any other group in this sample. Seventy-five percent of these immigrant households were suffering from hunger because they didn't have enough money for food.
One third of the sample were single adults without dependent children. Only 18% of these 247 adults were experiencing food security. Over half (59%) were food insecure with moderate to severe hunger. Over one-fifth (22%) of this sub-population reported that their food stamp benefits were cut during the past year. A comparison of those households who had cuts and those who did not shows a very high rate of food insecurity with hunger among the cut households which was significantly different from those whose benefits were not cut.
This study documents intolerable rates of food insecurity and hunger among California’s low-income population and provides clear evidence that the food stamp cuts contained in the federal welfare reform bill are actually generating hunger and harming children and adults alike. Since this study design included a validated and widely used survey instrument, a random sample of a distinct population, and careful quality control of all aspects of data collection, the findings are particularly powerful and compelling.
These findings come on the heels of an earlier study in the series, reported in May 1998, The Impact of Legal Immigrant Food Stamp Cuts in Los Angeles and San Francisco Counties, which measured food insecurity and hunger among legal immigrants in two large urban counties. The report indicated an alarming prevalence of hunger among legal immigrant households, including families with children, with strong evidence that hunger rates were increasing among households whose food stamp benefits were reduced due to welfare reform.
This second study is designed to obtain information about how welfare policy is affecting the general low-income population in California, particularly those who may no longer be participating in government cash or food assistance programs. Periodic descriptive surveys of clients seeking emergency assistance from charitable organizations can provide valuable information about households who are dropping from state welfare caseloads, but may not be faring as well as some policymakers may believe.
High rates of hunger among these households were detected despite concerted public and private efforts to mitigate the potential harm caused by the food stamp terminations and other welfare and immigration policy changes. Eight of twelve counties included in the survey had full or partial waivers that have postponed the strict three-month limit for single adults on food stamps. Some counties allocated additional financial resources to county food banks to purchase and distribute food to emergency food sites to meet the expected increased demand for food especially among legal immigrants. The California Legislature created the California Food Assistance Program to provide state-funded food stamps to legal immigrant children and the elderly who lost federal benefits, and established a $2 million grocery voucher program for migrant farmworkers who lost food stamps, as well.
Clearly, a partial legal immigrant food stamp restoration, such as that contained in the current California Food Assistance Program and the recently signed federal Agricultural Research Conference Report bill (S. 1150) will not go far enough. Full restoration of food stamps to all impacted immigrant households is needed to more adequately protect vulnerable populations from needless and unjust hunger. Furthermore, policymakers must address the implications of current policies that enforce time limits and harsh sanctions on single joblesss adults who rely on food stamps during periods of seasonal unemployment.