NYHealth Submits Testimony to the New York City Council Committee on General Welfare Oversight – Food Insecurity

Testimony of Julia McCarthy, J.D., Senior Program Officer, New York Health Foundation

Submitted to the New York City Council Committee on

General Welfare Oversight - Food Insecurity

April 13, 2026

Thank you, Chairperson Hudson and members of the Committee, for the opportunity to testify on behalf of the New York Health Foundation (NYHealth). NYHealth is a private, independent foundation that seeks to improve the health of all New Yorkers, especially people of color and others who have been historically marginalized. Through our Healthy Food, Healthy Lives program, we support policies and programs that connect New Yorkers with the food they need to thrive. Our work has provided us with in-depth knowledge of the widespread impact food insecurity has on the health of children, families, and communities.

Access to nutritious food affects health. Food-insecure New York State residents are twice as likely as their food-secure counterparts to report poor health.[1] They are also more likely to have lower diet quality, higher diet-related disease rates, and higher health care costs.[2]^,[3],[4]Understanding the harm food insecurity causes, NYHealth has committed to improve food security across New York City and State. Core strategies of our work include maximizing participation in federal nutrition programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), as well as increasing access to healthy, high-quality food in public institutions like schools and food banks. Notably, NYHealth's investments helped secure universal free school lunch for New York City's 1.1 million public school children.

Most recently, NYHealth and our grantee partners have been working to mitigate the harmful effects of the federal H.R. 1 legislation with a specific focus on nutrition benefits. Our efforts have ranged from advocacy and technical assistance for local agencies to cash assistance for SNAP recipients during the November federal government shutdown. We have also spoken out through testimony and comments, and convened the funder community to respond. We are concerned that food insecurity rates will increase dramatically in the coming months and are committed to working with the City to address this problem.

Food Insecurity Is at the Highest Rate in More than Five Years

In late 2025, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its latest report on household food insecurity. The findings are stark. New York State's rate of food insecurity exceeds the national average. Between 2022 and 2024, 14% of households in New York State were food-insecure compared with 10.3% from 2019-2021-a 36% increase. And nationally, approximately 59% of food-insecure households relied on one or more major federal nutrition assistance programs, like SNAP, WIC, and National School Lunch Program.[5]

For the past five years, NYHealth has also tracked food insufficiency-a more severe, short-term version of food insecurity-in New York State using U.S. Census data. Our most recent analysis shows that in 2024, food insufficiency rates in New York were higher than they were during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.[6] Disparities also persist. Nearly 1 in 5 Black and 1 in 7 Hispanic New York State residents experienced food insufficiency, compared with 1 in 11 white residents. Nearly a third of residents in the lowest income bracket (those with an annual income of less than $25,000) experienced food insufficiency, 13 times the rate for residents in the highest income bracket (those with an annual income of $100,000 or more)[7] These recent increases in food insecurity and insufficiency are likely driven by several factors, including rising food costs and expiration of federal pandemic-era safety net programs and benefit increases.

Recent federal action threatens ongoing access to the comprehensive data that guides our collective work. In September 2025, the USDA announced the termination of future Household Food Security Reports, which have been the gold standard for nearly 30 years. The reports provide rigorous measures to track trends over time and identify the highest-risk groups, so resources are effectively targeted. At the very moment when more New Yorkers are likely to struggle because of coming cuts to SNAP, limited data will be available to guide strategic decision-making.

Fortunately, New York State legislators are exploring ways to fill this gap. They are considering a sensible, practical solution to add a brief food security module to the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), the largest continuously conducted health survey. New York administers the survey under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Legislation pending at the State level (A9168/S8553A) is actively in committee discussion and would help codify this solution.

SNAP Challenges and Cuts Are Intensifying Threats to Food Security

SNAP is the country's largest and single most effective tool to fight hunger. Research shows SNAP can reduce overall food insecurity prevalence by as much as 30% and can improve racial disparities in food insecurity.[8]^,[9] It also improves dietary quality, supports positive health outcomes, and lowers health care expenditures.[10]^{,[11], [12]}

SNAP helps nearly 3 million New York State residents afford food each month, including 1.8 million people in New York City alone.[13]^,[14] Approximately, 30% of New York State residents participating in SNAP are children, 21% are older adults, and another 10% who are not older adults have a disability.[15] Beyond supporting household food security, SNAP generates significant economic activity in local communities, as federal nutrition dollars flow into grocery stores, farmers markets, and other food retailers across the State.[16]^,[17]An estimated $5 billion dollars in annual SNAP benefits generates $7.8 billion in economic activity in New York City[18]

As the Council is highlighting today, organized criminals are exploiting vulnerabilities in outdated SNAP delivery systems to steal millions of dollars in benefits from New Yorkers who rely on these dollars to feed their families. The State is also taking steps to address this issue and modernize SNAP systems. As a start, Governor Hochul recently announced plans to secure chip-based technology that makes cards virtually impervious to mass skimming.

Compounding these threats, overall SNAP access is at serious risk. H.R. 1 shifts high costs to states based on the accuracy of application submissions (i.e., error rates), expands work

requirements, and adds eligibility restrictions. As a result, New York State could lose an estimated $1.4 billion in SNAP funding, and an estimated 300,000 people could lose their benefits outright, increasing food insecurity and depriving the local economy of hundreds of millions of dollars. As an indicator of future harm, during the federal government shutdown when SNAP benefits were paused, local grocery stores in certain neighborhoods reported losses of roughly half their revenue.

These changes are phasing in fast. Many immigrant populations recently lost benefits, and stricter work requirements took effect in March. The burden is falling heavily on New York City-home to approximately 60% of the State's SNAP recipients-and other county governments to preserve access for as many New Yorkers as possible. New York is one of only ten states where SNAP benefits are administered at the city and county level, with support from the State's Office of Temporary Disability Assistance.

To preserve SNAP access for as many New Yorkers as possible, we recommend the City:

Ensure that the New York City Human Resources Administration (NYC HRA) has the resources it needs to navigate the massive changes ahead. As the local SNAP administrator, NYC HRA is facing an overwhelming undertaking in the face of H.R. 1 and needs the resources, staffing, and systems to navigate changes. We appreciate that the agency has engaged community partners and is working diligently with outdated systems and a constrained budget. Our partners in the legal assistance, direct service, and advocacy sectors are working to identify needs and propose potential solutions that the Council should consider. For example, Urban Justice Center-Safety Net Project (UJC-SNP) has documented historical problems with the call centers in their report "Failing Phones."[19] As we understand it, the center receives 10 million calls annually but only has the capacity to handle four million. The number of calls is only likely to increase in the next few months when the new work requirement rule goes into full effect. Upgrades to the call center, technology to streamline workflow for HRA staff, and increased capacity to communicate with participants in plain language are just a few examples of changes that may be needed. We look forward to working with our grantees and HRA to support high-priority, feasible, and practical changes.

Advocate for the continued modernization of SNAP systems at the State level. The State has taken important steps, including moving to chip-enabled cards on an aggressive timeline. The Council can continue to advocate for improvements by encouraging State-level adoption of industry-standard, real-time analytics capable of preventing fraudulent transactions, including touchless payments, transaction blocking, and other standard financial service practices (e.g., protections available on commercial credit and bank cards). UJC-SNP has also been ensuring that community members know the risks; there are opportunities for the Council to expand on this type of consumer education.

Support existing City food programs that fill gaps. A large and growing number of families don't qualify for nutrition benefits, and many who do qualify still struggle. Making emergency food accessible is essential. New York City has made important commitments, including supporting grocery delivery through efforts like the recent PantryLink pilot program and existing Groceries to Go program. The City is also working to meet the needs of immigrant communities through innovative benefit models. For example, the East Harlem Neighborhood Health Action Center just published a report documenting best practices for reaching immigrant communities across City nutrition benefit programs. The City should continue to explore ways to scale these best practices and bolster the overburdened emergency food system through Community Food Connection.

Partner with New York State to identify and implement solutions to fill food insecurity data collection gaps. New York City and State have impressive data collection infrastructure and expertise. New York State is considering filling gaps in federal food insecurity data using BRFSS with a bill currently in committee in the State Legislature (A9168/S8553A). The City and State can continue to use this moment to coordinate efforts to ensure data is available to assess progress and inequities.

NYHealth is grateful for the City's shared commitment to food security and to protecting New Yorkers' access to SNAP. We urge the City Council to continue its leadership by supporting City agencies implementing program changes in a way that is least harmful to New Yorkers and by continuing to use its voice to oppose harmful federal cuts. NYHealth is here to help: please call on us to organize the funder community and to help identify practical solutions. Together, we can ensure all New Yorkers have reliable access to the nutritious food they need to live healthy, dignified lives.

[1] New York Health Foundation. (2022). NYHealth survey of food and health. https://nyhealthfoundation.org/resource/nyhealth-survey-of-food-and-health-2022/.

[2] Morales, M.E.; Berkowitz, S.A. (2016). The relationship between food insecurity, dietary patterns, and obesity. Current Nutrition Reports, 5(1):54-60. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13668-016-0153-y

[3] Gregory, C.A.; Coleman-Jensen, A. (2017). Food insecurity, chronic disease, and health among working-age adults. (Economic Research Report No. 235). U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service. https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/publications/84467/err-235.pdf.

[4] Berkowitz, S.A.; Basu, S.; Meigs, J.B.; Seligman. H.K. (2018). Food insecurity and health care expenditures in the United States, 2011-2013. Health Services Research, 53(3):1600-1620. https://doi.org/10.1111/1475-6773.12730

[5] U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service. (2025). Household food security in the United States in 2024. https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/food-security-in-the-u-s/.

[6] Okonkwo, C., Ford, M., McCarthy, J., Barrett, A., Havusha, A., & Sandman, D. (2025). Hunger on the rise: New York's food insufficiency rates hit new highs and exceed pandemic levels (2024 update). New York Health Foundation. https://nyhealthfoundation.org/resource/hunger-on-the-rise-nys-food-insufficiency-2024update/.

[7] Okonkwo, C., Ford, M., McCarthy, J., Barrett, A., Havusha, A., & Sandman, D. (2025). Hunger on the rise: New York's food insufficiency rates hit new highs and exceed pandemic levels (2024 update). New York Health Foundation. https://nyhealthfoundation.org/resource/hunger-on-the-rise-nys-food-insufficiency-2024update/.

[8] Ratcliffe, C., McKernan, S. M., & Zhang, S. (2011). How Much Does the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Reduce Food Insecurity? American journal of agricultural economics, 93(4), 1082-1098. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajae/aar026

[9] Samuel, L. J., Crews, D. C., Swenor, B. K., Zhu, J., Stuart, E. A., Szanton, S. L., Kim, B., Dwivedi, P., Li, Q., Reed, N. S., & Thorpe, R. J., Jr (2023). Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Access and Racial Disparities in Food Insecurity. JAMA network open, 6(6), e2320196. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.20196

[10] Andreyeva, T., Tripp, A. S., & Schwartz, M. B. (2015). Dietary Quality of Americans by Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Participation Status: A Systematic Review. American journal of preventive medicine, 49(4), 594-604. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2015.04.035

[11] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306919214001419

[12] Berkowitz SA, Seligman HK, Rigdon J, Meigs JB, & Basu S. (2017). Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participation and health care expenditures among low-income adults. JAMA Internal Medicine, 177(11), 1642-1649. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2017.4841.

[13] Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance. (2024). SNAP participation by Congressional District. New York State. https://otda.ny.gov/resources/reports/SNAP-Congressional-Districts.pdf

[14] Office of the New York State Comptroller. (2025). Nutritional assistance - Federal funding and New York. https://www.osc.ny.gov/reports/budget/fed-funding-ny/nutritional-assistance

[15] Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance. (2024). SNAP participation by Congressional District. New York State. https://otda.ny.gov/resources/reports/SNAP-Congressional-Districts.pdf

[16] Hall, L., & Nchako, C. (2023). SNAP food assistance is a sound investment in our nation's health, well-being, and economy. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. https://www.cbpp.org/blog/snap-food-assistance-is-a-sound-investment-in-our-nations-health-well-being-and-economy

[17] Canning, P., & Stacy, B. (2019). The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the economy: New estimates of the SNAP multiplier. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service. https://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/pub-details?pubid=93528

[18] The $5 billion figure is an annualized estimate based on the $423.9 million in monthly SNAP benefits issued to New York City residents as of January 2025. Office of the New York State Comptroller. (2025). Nutritional assistance: Federal funding and New York. https://www.osc.ny.gov/reports/budget/fed-funding-ny/nutritional-assistance

[19] Urban Justice Center Safety Net Project. (2020). Failing phones: A report on HRA's infoline. https://snp.urbanjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2020/08/HRA-Infoline-Report.pdf