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More than 1.2 million people in the Washington, D.C., area experienced food insecurity over the last year as residents struggled with changing employment statuses and rising costs of living exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
About one-third of residents in the DMV area experienced some form of food insecurity in 2021, spanning from downtown D.C. to nearby counties in Maryland and Virginia, according to a first-of-its-kind study conducted by the Capital Area Food Bank and NORC at the University of Chicago. In their study, experts found a “higher prevalence of regional food insecurity than any other known data on this subject in recent history.”
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“What is evident in this year’s new data is how profoundly different the experiences of the pandemic have been for people across our region,” the study states. “Household incomes have gone down separate paths since March 2020, with about a third earning less than two years ago, a third earning more, and a third earning about the same. Residents’ future outlooks are similarly fragmented.”
About 33% of residents in the Washington, D.C., area reported experiencing some level of food insecurity over the last year, with 16% of those respondents noting they were “severely” insecure, according to the study. Food insecurity was most prevalent among nonwhite population groups, with 43% of those who reported struggles identifying as black and another 26% identifying as Hispanic.
Prince George’s County had the highest percentage of food-insecure residents, with nearly half (48%) experiencing food insecurity at some point in the last year. In areas where the problem was less prevalent, such as Arlington, Virginia, at least 21% reported some form of food insecurity.
Most of those experiencing food insecurity are employed (77%), making up a higher percentage than those who reported feeling secure (74%). This could be because younger people are more likely to earn lower wages, and young adults ages 18-29 made up the largest group of those who are food-insecure (31%).
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
“The imperative is clear: as we rebuild our region, we must do so in inclusive ways that enable more people to participate in recovery,” the study states. “Collectively, across all sectors, a once-in-a-generation moment exists to drive a recovery that benefits all members of our community, creates more opportunity for more people, and shrinks the equity gap across our region and beyond. Now is the time to seize that chance.”
The study surveyed 4,000 residents in the general population using the USDA’s standard food insecurity screener, which asks whether someone has experienced one or more food-related hardships at any point during the last year.
