Food Pantries or Food Stamps: Who Uses Them and What Impact Do They Have on Poverty?

An alarming number of New York City residents are not able to meet basic food needs. According to the latest Poverty Tracker data collected by Columbia and Robin Hood, over one in ten New Yorkers – approximately nearly 1 million people – report that it is often the case that their family does not have enough food to eat.

Summary of findings:

• 11% of New Yorkers have a severe food hardship.

• Another 27% of New Yorkers have a moderate food hardship.

• Of those New York City residents with a severe food hardship, 57% report receiving SNAP benefits.

• Only 54% of NYC residents who are eligible for SNAP according to the Poverty Tracker data receive SNAP benefits, though some people may misreport their receipt of benefits in surveys.

• Adults with a food hardship are much more likely to use SNAP rather than seek out emergency food aid through pantries or kitchens.

• Most pantry users receive SNAP; a small share of SNAP recipients use pantries.

• The pantry population is more disadvantaged than the SNAP population.

• If all New Yorkers with a severe or moderate food hardship received weekly food aid through pantries or soup kitchens, the poverty rate would be reduced by 18%.

• The monetary value of the meals that would be supplied to all New Yorkers with a severe or moderate food hardship if they visited a pantry or soup kitchen on a weekly basis is $1.1 billion.

The Poverty Tracker is a longitudinal study of the dynamics of poverty and disadvantage in New York City. It is a joint project of Robin Hood and Columbia University.