DPH releases 2023 Biennial Food Security and Equity Report, flags disparities and budget risk

The Department of Public Health presented the 2023 San Francisco Biennial Food Security and Equity Report to the Health Commission, outlining citywide food-program spending, population-level indicators from sample surveys and community recommendations to protect and strengthen food security.

Eric Chan (food security and equity planner, Office of Anti-Racism and Equity) and Kayla Plank (health program planner, Center for Data Science) said the report was required by ordinance passed June 30, 2021, and compiled contributions from several city departments and community partners. The presenters emphasized that no single citywide population-level measure of food insecurity exists, so the report uses samples and program data to provide a baseline.

Key findings presented by Kayla Plank included sample-based evidence that in 2022, 67% of San Franciscans with incomes below 200% of the federal poverty level experienced food insecurity in one surveyed dataset, and that hospitalization rates for diet-sensitive conditions were disproportionately higher among Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander residents (reported at about nine times higher) and Black/African American residents (about four times higher) compared with citywide averages for certain indicators. Plank noted the analysis is not causal and described the pathways by which food insecurity relates to diet-sensitive diseases.

The report quantified city spending on food-security programs: presenters said just over $200 million supported city-led food-security programs in FY22-23, and that those programs rely heavily on local funding (about 45% of funding for certain programs). They also reported a projected $35 million reduction in funding for a subset of these programs over FY22-25, largely from local funds, and called for budget protections and expanded federal flexibility.

The presentation summarized program categories (financial resources, food access, food-producing gardens and infrastructure), noted 36 programs reported across nine departments, and highlighted DPH-administered programs totaling about $8.86 million in FY22-23. Recommendations included establishing a protected line item in the city budget, improving data collection and centralized referral/tracking, expanding medically supportive food initiatives under CalAIM, and setting maximum wait times for city-funded food programs.

Commissioners thanked staff and pressed for more demographic breakdowns, clarified task-force membership and asked whether future reports will track changes over time. Staff said appendices include more detail, additional analyses are forthcoming and the next biennial report is planned for 2025. The Food Security Task Force will continue outreach and work on implementation recommendations.