Low Wages Major Cause of Hunger

Low wages, followed by poverty and high housing costs were the chief causes of hunger citied by officials in the 22 cities surveyed in the U.S. Conference of Mayors 33rd annual assessment of hunger and homelessness. Two-thirds of the cities reported increased requests for emergency food assistance this year over last. People in families represented 67% of those who asked for emergency food, 42% were employed, 23% were elderly, and 10% were homeless. Despite increasing their budgets for emergency food assistance by 7.2%, in nearly half the 22 reporting cities, emergency kitchens and food pantries had to reduce the quantity of food they could offer, and in over half, facilities had to turn away people because they lacked resources. The reporting cities also estimated that 23% of the demand for emergency food help was unmet.

Source: U.S. Conference of Mayors, 12/22/15, Hunger in Cities