The San Diego Hunger Coalition sounded an alarm last week regarding food insecurity in San Diego County. Nutrition insecurity in the county has surged back to pandemic-era levels, with 26% of the population now facing hunger, according to new data released by the San Diego Hunger Coalition.
The alarming rise is driven not only by fear among immigrant communities due to intensified ICE and National Guard activity in California, but also by widespread layoffs tied to economic uncertainty, the elimination of federally funded programs, and growing concerns about a potential recession. As more families struggle to make ends meet, food assistance is becoming harder to access, and for many, too risky to seek.
Federal funding cuts have only deepened the strain. Programs that once helped stabilize families, like the Local Food Purchasing Assistance (LFPA) and The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), have been scaled back or canceled, resulting in the loss of millions of meals’ worth of nutritious food. These cuts not only reduce access to essentials like fresh produce, milk, eggs, and meat, but they also undermine a local food system that supported small farms and rural economies. Replacing this lost support with local funds is nearly impossible without major reinvestment.
Fear escalated after the Trump administration requested access to the personal data of millions of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients. Although the National Center for Law and Economic Justice confirmed the administration has paused the request following legal challenges, community trust has already been shaken. Many families are now avoiding public programs and even grocery stores out of fear of being targeted.
“Food is a right, not a risk,” said Alondra Alvarado, President & CEO of the San Diego Hunger Coalition. “No one should have to choose between eating and staying safe.”
