Nearly 4 Million Californians Are Food Insecure

Food insecurity has increased significantly among low-income Californians over the last decade. In this policy brief, the authors use data from the 2009 California Health Interview Survey to show that 3.8 million adults in households with incomes at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) could not afford enough food at least once in the previous year. Low-income households with children and Spanish-speaking households suffered from the worst levels of food insecurity. Expanding nutrition assistance programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, could help reduce high rates of food insecurity among the low-income population. ​

• M. Pia Chaparro
• Brent A. Langellier
• Kerry Birnbach
• Matthew Sharp
• Gail G. Harrison, PhD