Primary Department: Public Health Services
Primary Department Head/Elected Official: Leah Barton - Executive Director
Secondary Department: N/A
Secondary Department Head/Elected Official:
Regular or Supplemental RCA: Regular RCA
Type of Request: Transmittal
Project ID (if applicable): N/A
Vendor/Entity Legal Name (if applicable): N/A
MWBE Contracted Goal (if applicable): N/A
MWBE Current Participation (if applicable): N/A
Justification for 0% MWBE Participation Goal: N/A - Goal not applicable to request
Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable): N/A
Justification for 0% Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable): N/A - Not a grant item
Request Summary (Agenda Caption):
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Transmittal by Public Health Services of a proposed countywide strategy to address food insecurity, with recommendations for addressing both short-term and long-term needs.
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Background and Discussion:
Food and health are inextricably linked. Regular access to sufficient, nutritious food is foundational to physical health, mental well-being, and overall quality of life. Lack of access to adequate food, also known as Food Insecurity, is a key non-medical driver of health outcomes and reflects broader economic, infrastructural, and social conditions. In Harris County, food insecurity is widespread despite the region’s economic strength. Approximately two in five households in Houston and Harris County are food insecure, nearly three times the national average. 65% of surveyed residents report worrying about running out of food in the past year. Food insecurity rates are highest among Black (53%) and Hispanic (47%) residents and among households earning less than $35,000 annually (59%). Community members living in food-insecure households are more than twice as likely to report poor or fair physical health, and nearly two-thirds report having at least one physical health condition. Economic pressures are a primary driver, with 44% of households falling below the ALICE threshold in 2023, meaning they earn above the federal poverty level but cannot afford basic necessities. Neighborhood-level access barriers further compound these challenges, as 15.3% of Harris County census tracts are classified as low-income and low-access, limiting proximity to full-service grocery stores and increasing reliance on less nutritious food options. While public benefits such as SNAP and WIC reduce food insecurity, significant gaps remain: enrollment has declined in recent years, and tens of thousands of eligible residents are estimated to be unenrolled, leaving substantial federal nutrition dollars unclaimed. At the same time, recent federal changes to SNAP require states to assume a greater share of administrative and benefit costs, expand work requirements, and narrow eligibility for certain populations. These changes are expected to make it harder for many community members to obtain and retain benefits. The attached document further elaborates on the landscape of food insecurity in Harris County and presents recommendations to meet both short- and long-term needs.
Expected Impact:
The recommendations within this strategy are targeted at the following outcomes: a greater number of community members connected to direct food resources, higher enrollment and retention in public benefits programs (such as SNAP), more County programs with a clearer understanding of food referral pathways, and improved quality of food/nutrition education being provided to Harris County community members.
Alternative Options:
The following outlines options to address the root causes of food insecurity that are generally outside the scope of HCPH activities. Consider County land/property as a lever for addressing food deserts: County land or property, especially in low-income and low-access neighborhoods, can be leveraged to support the development of community gardens, farmers' markets, or grocery stores. Invest in upstream programs that support food security: Affordable housing, financial self-sufficiency, and other workforce development initiatives help address the economic conditions at the root of food insecurity for many community members. Provide economic incentives in low-income and low-access communities: Economic and regulatory incentives may help promote the development of grocery stores in low-income and low-access neighborhoods and the sale of fresh and healthy foods at corner stores in those same communities. Alternatively, the County could choose not to act on these recommendations and continue current food/nutrition supports for the remainder of the ARPA period.
County Strategic Plan Goal: 4. Improve physical and mental health outcomes across all communities.
County Strategic Plan Objective: N: Improve the health behaviors of community members.
Justice/Safety Initiative (Goal 1): Choose an item.
Infrastructure Initiative (Goal 2): Choose an item.
Economy Initiative (Goal 3): Choose an item.
Health Initiative (Goal 4): N2: Increase food/nutrition education and access to healthier food.
Climate/Resilience Initiative (Goal 5): Choose an item.
Housing Initiative (Goal 6): Choose an item.
Additional notes related to the Strategic Plan: The recommendations for consideration within this strategy serve dual purposes; Initiative 4.N.2: Increase food/nutrition education and access to healthier food; and Initiative 4.O.3: Increase utilization of health-related public benefits.
Prior Court Action (if any):
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Action Taken |
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12/11/2025 |
387 |
Motion for Harris County Public Health to prepare a countywide strategy to address food insecurity. |
Location:
Address (if applicable): N/A
Precinct(s): Countywide
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Anticipated Court Date: 2/12/2026
Anticipated Implementation Date (if different from Court date): 2/12/2026
Emergency/Disaster Recovery Note: Not an emergency, disaster, or ARPA related item
Contact(s) name, title, department: Leah Barton, Executive Director, Public Health Services; Brandon Maddox, Director of Planning and Innovation, Public Health Services
Attachments (if applicable): Food Insecurity Strategy