EL PASO, Texas – (KFOX14/CBS4) — On December 1, The Kelly Center for Hunger Relief presented alarming statistics to the El Paso City Council, revealing that 35% of El Pasoans face food insecurity, a figure more than double the national average of 13.5% reported by the USDA in 2023.
The data, derived from a University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) study, highlighted the severe impact of food insecurity on the community, costing El Paso County over $745 million in the same year.
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Tom Fullerton, an economics professor at UTEP, explained that the study aimed to assess the local impact of food insecurity, identifying poverty as a leading cause.
“So we’ve got a small income base available, and that means that there are a lot of people who, let’s see, periodically are not able to get enough nutrition or get nutrition in a reliable manner,” Fullerton said.
He noted that El Paso and Las Cruces rank among the lowest metropolitan economies in terms of median household income.
FULL STUDY:
The study estimated that over 300,000 people in El Paso County experienced food insecurity in 2023.
Fullerton emphasized the importance of bridging national and local studies to accurately reflect the unique demographic and economic characteristics of El Paso.
Residents expressed mixed reactions to the findings.
One resident remarked, “We have a lot of resources if you need food and I see that they give plenty of food so I don’t believe that there’s an issue.”
Another resident stressed the need for equal access to basic necessities, saying, “I think everybody should have like equal opportunities to get food and like you know basic needs to survive.”
RELATED: El Paso food insecurity at 35%, over twice state average, city council hears
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