US EditionMassachusetts food insecurity hits record, annual report finds
Advocates say more than half of food-insecure households now rely on charities, while state lawmakers consider higher funding for emergency food aid.
- On Tuesday, a report from the Greater Boston Food Bank and Mass General Brigham revealed that 40% of Massachusetts households, or 1.12 million people, experienced food insecurity over the past 12 months.
- Rising costs and federal policy shifts—including new Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program eligibility limits under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act—have driven food insecurity to more than double since 2019.
- Pediatrician Lauren Fiechtner of Mass General Brigham reported that every demographic struggles, with Hispanic households reaching 63% insecurity in 2025 and food insecurity linked to up to $1.6 billion in emergency hospitalizations.
- Food providers are asking state lawmakers to allocate $58 million to the Massachusetts Emergency Food Assistance Program to meet record demand, while GBFB CEO Catherine D'Amato stated the need for urgent investment in emergency food systems.
- Governor Maura Healey proposed $55 million for the program in fiscal 2027, while advocates push for an additional $3 million to reach the $58 million target needed to address the systemic crisis.
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11 Articles
Hispanic households in Massachusetts have been leading food insecurity rates in the state for six consecutive years. In 2025, 63% of those households did not have consistent and reliable access to sufficient food, according to the Massachusetts Food Access Report: Hunger on the Rise, published on April 7, 2026 by The Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB) and Mass General Brigham. The report, the sixth annual of its kind, also reveals that 40% of all h…
Food insecurity hit 40% of Mass. households in 2025, survey suggests
Record number of Mass. residents don’t have enough healthy food to eat
More people than ever in Massachusetts say they don’t have enough food to eat, according to the latest Massachusetts Food Access Report from the Greater Boston Food Bank and Mass General Brigham. The rise comes as the cost of living increases and the federal government makes cuts that affect benefits, such as food stamps.
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