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Central Texas Food Bank: assessment finds 15.9% food insecurity in Hays County; calls for county coordination
Summary
A countywide needs assessment led by Central Texas Food Bank finds about 39,000 residents — including nearly 11,000 children — face food insecurity and recommends county-level coordination, infrastructure investments and targeted programs to address the problem.
Central Texas Food Bank presented a countywide food needs assessment to the Hays County Commissioners Court on Feb. 11, reporting a 15.9% food insecurity rate in Hays County that translates to roughly 39,000 people without reliable access to food.
The assessment, conducted in partnership with the Hays County Health Department, combined public datasets, stakeholder interviews, focus groups in Kyle, San Marcos and Ueland, and a neighbor survey of 243 people experiencing food access barriers. Dr. Tracy Erhart, vice president of research and strategic partnerships at Central Texas Food Bank, said the study found one in four food-insecure households regularly trade off food for utilities, medicine, housing or transportation.
County leaders described the report as a resource for future policy and program decisions. “One in four food-insecure households in Hays County make trade-offs every single month between food…
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