Food insecurity in New York City and across New York State has become a persistent and growing reality rather than a temporary problem. In New York City, more than one in four residents are estimated to experience food insecurity, while, statewide, millions of New Yorkers continue to rely on emergency food at some point each year. Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic, demand at food pantries and soup kitchens has remained elevated, even as emergency federal supports have expired.
Rising food prices and inflation have made it increasingly difficult for households to afford groceries, while the broader cost-of-living crisis, from rent to utilities, continues to strain already tight budgets. Providers across the emergency food network report that more working families, seniors, and first-time visitors are turning to food assistance to fill the gap, underscoring how food insecurity is not only a symptom of economic strain but also a growing driver of demand on publicly funded programs and the emergency food system.
The fiscal year 2027 preliminary budgets for both New York City and New York State offer an important snapshot of the way city and state governments are responding to the need for food assistance and where advocates say further investment is required.
In New York City, much of the focus centers on the Community Food Connection (CFC), the city’s primary funding stream for emergency food providers. Administered through the Human Resources Administration, CFC supports a vast network of food pantries and soup kitchens that serve millions of New Yorkers each year. In recent budget cycles, funding for the program has fluctuated significantly, creating ongoing uncertainty for providers. After a series of cuts and restorations, CFC funding was baselined at approximately $36 million in the budget for fiscal year 2026 and supplemented by additional one-time emergency infusions of funding to bolster pantry support and nutrition assistance programs in response to spikes in need.
However, in response to the continued demand for emergency food, the Mamdani administration has proposed more than tripling the baseline funding for the CFC in FY27 with an additional $54 million, signaling a shift away from one-time emergency investments and toward a more consistent and sizable funding structure. While this proposal represents meaningful progress, advocates and City Council members have consistently called for a higher benchmark, arguing that the CFC should be baselined at $100 million annually to adequately meet food assistance needs and account for rising food and operational costs. The gap between this and the proposed baseline highlights an ongoing debate about what level of investment is truly sufficient in the current economic climate.
At the state level, the FY27 preliminary budget is determined by several major anti-hunger programs that together form the backbone of New York’s response to food insecurity. The Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program (HPNAP), the state’s primary funding stream for food banks, pantries, and soup kitchens, is being awarded $51 million, with an additional $15 million allocated to increasing funding for regional networks. This structure reflects an effort not only to maintain baseline support but also to strengthen distribution systems and better reach communities across the state. Still, as with the city’s budget, advocates continue to call for higher levels of funding to keep pace with growing demand and rising costs.
Nourish New York, a state-funded program launched during the COVID-19 pandemic, purchases surplus food from New York farmers and distributes it through food banks and community organizations across the state. In doing so, it serves a dual role: providing a stable market and revenue stream for regional producers while expanding access to fresh, locally sourced food for households facing food insecurity. The FY27 budget proposal includes $55 million for Nourish New York, sustaining a model that advocates point to as a successful example of how food policy can simultaneously strengthen local agricultural economies and improve food access.
The state budget also includes $10 million in capital funding for food banks and other organizations that provide emergency food assistance, an investment aimed at strengthening infrastructure, storage, and distribution capacity across the emergency food system. While smaller in scale than direct program funding, these capital dollars play an important role in ensuring that providers can efficiently move and store food, even as demand remains high.
Beyond emergency food programs, the state has also proposed broader food access investments, including a $395 million expansion of the universal school meals program, an increase of $55 million from FY26, which would increase access to free meals for students across New York State. While distinct from pantry and food bank funding, school meals are a critical component of food access and equity, helping to reduce food insecurity by ensuring that children receive consistent, nutritious meals throughout the school year.
The PLATES initiative, although less prominent in public budget summaries, continues to represent an effort to strengthen regional food infrastructure and emergency response capacity through a statewide competitive grant program that funds projects for eligible food pantries to safely store, transport, and distribute food to more families. By supporting distribution networks and local partnerships, the program complements investments in HPNAP and Nourish New York, particularly in areas where access challenges are shaped by location as much as income.
Taken together, these city and state proposals reflect a growing acknowledgment that food insecurity remains a defining challenge for New Yorkers. At the same time, they reveal an ongoing reliance on incremental increases and partial solutions rather than the kind of comprehensive, fully baselined investments that many advocates argue are necessary.
As budget negotiations move forward, the central question is not whether the need exists, but whether funding will rise to meet it. For millions of New Yorkers navigating high food prices and economic uncertainty, the answer will determine not only the strength of the emergency food system but the broader promise of food access and affordability across the state.
