"Mayor Zohran Mamdani is entering City Hall during one of the most dire hunger crises in recent New York City history. Unprecedented cuts to federal food assistance and the lapse in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits during last year's shutdown have brought this crisis into the spotlight. However, the rising cost of groceries, threats to food benefits, and economic factors like inflation have been driving children and families into hunger since the pandemic."
"New York's hunger crisis has been devastating for kids and families, but it also represents an opportunity for the new mayor-who made affordability his central campaign issue-to take a bold stance and ensure that every New Yorker stays fed. Mayor Mamdani already has a solid track record on the issue. As a State Assembly member, he championed legislation to expand free meals for public school students. On the campaign trail, he also acknowledged that kids must eat to thrive."
A severe hunger crisis in New York City stems from federal food assistance cuts, a lapse in SNAP benefits during the shutdown, rising grocery costs, and inflation. A March 2025 poll found 86 percent of New Yorkers report food costs rising faster than income. Schools connect to nearly one million students and families and provide citywide reach for interventions. Immediate measures include maximizing the reach of school meal programs, offering in-school resources to help families apply for SNAP and other benefits, and expanding the number of school pantries. Prior legislative work on free school meals supports rapid implementation.
Read at City Limits
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