Food pantries represent a critical lifeline for non-citizen New Yorkers
Data Source: Second Poverty Tracker Sample (2015-2022), Center on Poverty and Social Policy
“In the wake of COVID, food pantries have played an outsized role in helping New Yorkers afford food. Compounding the challenges brought on by the pandemic, anti-immigration rhetoric and policy have had a chilling effect on people’s willingness to engage with the public food assistance system. Our Poverty Tracker data show that the post-covid increases in pantry use have been especially pronounced among non-citizen New Yorkers who have been pushed away from public programs meant to ensure families and children have enough to eat. These findings also highlight how food pantries provide a safe haven for non-citizens who are striving for a permanent citizenship status.”
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.