Nearly 11 Percent of Households in D.C. Struggle to Afford Enough Food
Despite an improving economy, 10.6 percent of households in the District of Columbia reported that they struggled to buy enough food for themselves and their families during in 2021.
Households with Children
The struggle to afford enough food is almost twice as high in households with children in the District than households without children, 13.6 percent compared to 6.7 percent.
Older Adults
According to the Food Research & Action Center “Food Insecurity Among Older Adults,” 12.8 percent of D.C.’s nearly 90,000 older adults are currently food insecure. D.C. also has the highest rate of seniors facing the threat of hunger in the nation, at 20.1%.
- D.C. has one of the highest rates of seniors living in poverty compared with the 50 states.
- More than 21,000 older adults are living with low income and thousands more struggle to cover housing costs, medical care, and still pay for food on a fixed income.
Households of Color
Black, Latinx, and other communities of color are shown to be more food insecure when compared to white households in D.C.
D.C. Food Policy Council’s “The Road Ahead: A 2021 Update on Food Access and Food Insecurity in the District of Columbia” reports 21 percent of Black households with children and 29.3 percent of Latinx households with children experienced food insecurity as of April 2021. Additionally, 12.9 percent of Black households and 17.1 percent of Latinx households without children reported experiencing food insecurity as of April 2021.