Addressing Hunger in the District of Columbia Requires Addressing Racial Inequities, Report Shows

Media Contact:
Colleen Barton Sutton
703-203-7843
cbsutton@frac.org

WASHINGTON, March 28, 2024 – D.C. Hunger Solutions today released a report that illustrates how racial inequities contribute to hunger and poverty for residents of color and lack of access to federal nutrition programs. The 2024 Racial Equity Report: How Racial Inequities Impact Food Security in the District of Columbia includes historical context, data, and recommendations to address poverty and hunger across the District.  

Residents living in Wards 7 and 8 are disproportionately impacted by a lack of food and other vital resources resulting from longstanding, wide-ranging systemic discriminatory national and local laws, policies, and practices, according to the report.  

“There is an inextricable link between racial injustice and poverty, the root cause of hunger,” said LaMonika Jones, director of D.C. Hunger Solutions. “The high levels of socioeconomic disparities in Wards 7 and 8 reflect the disinvestment east of the Anacostia River. The median income for residents living in these communities is less than $50,000, which makes it difficult to keep food on the table. More must be done to expand access to federal nutrition programs and other investments to support the health and overall well-being of people in these wards and others who are struggling across the District.” 

Federal nutrition programs include the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program; the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children; and meals provided at child care, school, afterschool programs, and summer meal sites. 

Key Findings:  

• On both a national and state level, racial injustices have been detrimental to the socioeconomic conditions for Black people and other people of color. In D.C., housing, economic well-being, and food access are social determinants of health that have been compromised for these communities due to historical disinvestment. This also is linked to the gaps in income and education for people of color, when compared to their White counterparts. 
• For residents in the District, especially those living in Ward 7 and Ward 8, it is especially important that federal nutrition programs and initiatives are accessible for older adults, immigrant families, and children from households with low incomes. The lack of grocery stores and Metro stops east of the Anacostia River has created an inaccessible environment, affecting residents’ ability to reside in a well-supported, thriving community.  
• Older adults, immigrant families, and children from households with low incomes are vulnerable populations that should be prioritized in initiatives aimed at achieving racial equity. Older residents experience additional hurdles, including accessing technology used for federal nutrition programs and transportation to grocery stores, as they age. Immigrant families may encounter language barriers in both accessing federal nutrition programs and grocery stores. For many students from households with low incomes, schools provide consistent meals needed for healthy development. Funding for school meals should be prioritized to ensure that students continue to have access to nutrition. 

“There is no excuse for hunger and poverty in the nation’s capital, or anywhere in America, when solutions exist,” added Jones. “Now is the time to upend racial inequities that threaten the well-being of people, communities, and our country. It is long overdue.”   
 
To address racial inequities in the food system, D.C. Hunger Solutions recommends guaranteed universal income, increased funding for the Child Wealth Building Act, fully funding the Senior Nutrition Well-Being Equity Act, and non-lapsing funding for Give SNAP A Raise Amendment Act. Other recommendations include expansion of the Language Access Amendment, continued funding for the Food Access Fund and Nourish DC Collaborative, and a District-level Child Tax Credit of $1,500 per child, which would lift thousands of children out of poverty and ensure families have the ability to afford food and other basic necessities. 

To read the full report, visit www.dchunger.org 

###

About D.C. Hunger Solutions 
D.C. Hunger Solutions, founded in 2002 as an initiative of the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC), works to create a hunger-free community and improve the nutrition, health, economic security, and well-being of low-income people in the District of Columbia. To learn more about D.C. Hunger Solutions, visit www.dchunger.org.