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Supervisors hear that food insecurity is rising among pregnant people; city staff warn safety net is at capacity
Summary
City health and human services staff told a Sept. 12 board committee that food insecurity in San Francisco has grown and that programs serving pregnant people and families are strained; community members urged more funding, better transit access for caregivers and a coordinated citywide strategy.
On Sept. 12, 2019 the San Francisco Board of SupervisorsPublic Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee held a special hearing on food insecurity, focusing on low-income pregnant people and families. Vice Chair Stephanie opened the session by saying the city will not meet its 2013 commitment to end hunger by 2020 and asked departments and community partners for concrete next steps.
Paula Jones, a Department of Public Health official, summarized city data and program findings, saying food insecurity is increasing and disproportionately affects pregnant people, children and communities of color. "Food insecurity is people who are hungry or in some cases starving," Jones said, and she warned that program infrastructure for food preparation, storage and distribution is at capacity. Jones also cited program limits, saying CalFresh benefits in San Francisco amount to "about a dollar 40 a meal," and noted that local meal programs require additional city funds because federal reimbursements do not…
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