More than one-third of Chicago-area households cannot afford the basic cost of living in their county, putting them at serious risk of food insecurity, a new report found. The 36% at risk equates to about 1.4 million households within 16 counties across the Chicago area, according to this year\u2019s Greater Chicagoland Hunger Report compiled by the Greater Chicago Food Depository, Northern Illinois Food Bank and the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana.<\/p>\n
Roughly 25% of people in the areas served by the food banks already face food insecurity, the report says. Spikes in grocery prices and rent costs \u2014 20% and 27%, respectively \u2014 between 2020 and 2025 have contributed to the rising number of households unable to afford basic living expenses, ultimately leading to more people struggling to consistently put food on their tables, the report found.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are certainly very, very concerned that this state of hunger that we\u2019re in right now is going to get worse. There\u2019s no sugar-coating that,\u201d said Man-Yee Lee, the Greater Chicago Food Depository\u2019s director of communications. Those numbers do not account for the thousands of people who are set to lose their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits after the federal government made substantial cuts to the program in its budget that won\u2019t take effect until next year.<\/p>\n
The hunger report released Tuesday estimated about 470,000 Illinois residents will lose some or all of their SNAP benefits. About 1.5 million people in the Chicago area currently participate in SNAP. \u201cI think that we\u2019re on the cusp of another hunger crisis right now, because with the changes to the safety net programs such as SNAP that were included in the recent federal budget plan, when they go into effect, it\u2019s going to increase food insecurity in our area,\u201d Lee said.<\/p>\n
The SNAP cuts propelled the food banks to look into the Chicago area\u2019s state of hunger, resulting in the report and their combined effort to educate residents and prepare them for potential rollbacks on their food assistance. \u201cTo us, the scariest thing is that we\u2019re worried that most of the people that are going to be affected [by SNAP reductions] don\u2019t even know that this is about to hit them,\u201d Lee said, \u201cbecause most of them are not watching the news every day. They\u2019re too busy trying to make ends meet, not watching the movements of Congress.\u201d<\/p>\n
The burden may ultimately fall onto the food banks, but their concerted effort, which relies on public donations, don\u2019t make the same impact that SNAP has. For every meal provided by a food bank, SNAP provides the equivalent of nine meals, the report found. The report also found that more people have been relying on food pantries and free grocery programs, with an increase of 48% of Chicago-area households utilizing those options between 2020 and 2025. That number peaked during last year\u2019s state fiscal year, with about 4.7 million household visits to a food pantry or free grocery program.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can\u2019t do it alone,\u201d Lee said. \u201cIt\u2019s got to be not just the emergency food system, but we\u2019ll also have to be supported by the federal safety net. \u2026 When you take [SNAP] away, it\u2019s taking another leg of the stool away, and so we\u2019re going to buckle at some point.\u201d<\/p>\n
The situation of food insecurity in the Chicago area is dire, with over a third of households unable to afford the basic cost of living. The impending cuts to SNAP benefits are expected to exacerbate the issue, putting more people at risk of hunger. It is crucial for the community, including food banks and the federal government, to work together to support those in need and prevent a hunger crisis.<\/p>\n
Q: What percentage of Chicago-area households cannot afford the basic cost of living?
\nA: 36% of households, which equates to about 1.4 million households.
\nQ: How many people in the Chicago area face food insecurity?
\nA: Roughly 25% of people in the areas served by the food banks.
\nQ: What is the expected impact of the SNAP cuts on food insecurity in the Chicago area?
\nA: The cuts are expected to increase food insecurity, with about 470,000 Illinois residents set to lose some or all of their SNAP benefits.
\nQ: How can the community support those at risk of food insecurity?
\nA: The community can support food banks and advocate for the federal safety net to prevent a hunger crisis.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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