Faced with dwindling resources, U.S. mayors are asking Congress for help as they’re distributing more food and dealing with more homelessness.
The U.S. Conference of Mayors released its hunger and homelessness survey of 25 cities, with 83% reporting that requests for emergency food assistance increased over the past year and 64% saying the number of homeless went up or stayed the same.
Carlo Allegri / Reuters
The report — which began in 1982 — found that unemployment led the list of causes of hunger, followed by low wages, poverty, and high housing costs.
Jonathan Alcorn / Reuters
The cities distributed 7% more food this year, 557 million pounds in all, while their budgets for emergency food purchases increased by less than 1%.
Jonathan Alcorn / Reuters
Santa Barbara Mayor Helene Schneider, the USCM hunger and homelessness task force chair, said the only way cities were able to distribute more was through a "collaborative effort with philanthropic and social services agencies."
Jonathan Alcorn / Reuters
