Food insecurity is on the rise in Maine, according to new data from the national nonprofit group Hunger Free America.
A snapshot survey conducted over the summer found that nearly 100,000 Maine residents didn’t have enough to eat. That’s a 47 percent increase from three years ago.
The findings in Maine are in line with a national increase in food insecurity, according to the report. Hunger Free America said the surge is due in part to the rollback or expiration of several pandemic-era support programs, including expanded child tax credits and SNAP benefits.
Though federal data show an overall decrease in food insecurity over the last decade in Maine, hunger prevention groups in Maine cautioned that data doesn’t reflect a recent uptick as Mainers continue to struggle with higher grocery prices and the winding down of COVID relief funding.
This story appears through a media partnership with Maine Public.
