Food & Water Insecurity
Food and water insecurity are urgent public health challenges driven by barriers to consistent access and affordability.
Our work on food and water insecurity examines how social, economic, and environmental factors limit consistent access to nutritious food and safe drinking water. We study the health consequences of these insecurities—particularly among children, low-income households, and communities of color—and evaluate the effectiveness of public programs and policies such as SNAP, WIC, and emergency water access initiatives. By identifying gaps in access and policy implementation, our research supports the development of more equitable systems that ensure all individuals can meet their basic nutritional and hydration needs.
Policy Questions
How did changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program during the COVID-19 epidemic impact food insufficiency?
During the COVID-19 pandemic, SNAP Emergency Allotments significantly reduced food insufficiency, particularly among SNAP households and children. When these benefits ended, food insufficiency rose sharply—by about 5 percentage points overall and over 20% among SNAP recipients—showing that standard benefit levels are insufficient to meet household needs.
What are the costs of cities shutting people’s water off who can’t afford it?
Shutting off water for households that cannot afford it imposes steep health, social, and economic costs – ranging from increased risk of disease, stress, and stigma to lost work and school days, higher household debt, and reliance on costly alternatives like bottled water. These shutoffs also exacerbate inequities, disproportionately harming low-income and minority communities while creating broader public health and administrative costs for cities.
Impacts & Key Findings
75,000
Restarting shutoffs for about 75,000 households in Philadelphia would cost each household between $1,980 and $4,950 to maintain water access via alternatives like bottled water or other sources.
21%
Ending SNAP Emergency Allotments was linked to significant increases in food insufficiency—about a 5% rise overall and 6% rise in child food insufficiency—with the largest impact among SNAP households, who experienced a 21% relative increase in both measures.
