SALT LAKE CITY — A report to be presented to leadership in the Utah State Legislature finds one in 10 homes in the state are experiencing food insecurity.
"More than 102,000 Utah families do not have the resources to buy enough food," the report, released Tuesday, also said.
In addition, children, female single parent households, seniors, people with disabilities, and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color communities are disproportionately affected. The report was created by a Food Security Task Force, which came out of a bill sponsored by Senate Minority Whip Luz Escamilla, D-Salt Lake City. It was to be presented to the Utah State Legislature's powerful Executive Appropriations Committee, which decides funding priorities for the state.
The report recommends a number of fixes to address the causes of food insecurity, including more affordable housing and wage increases. But at a state level, it recommends more money be pumped into emergency food assistance funds. Currently, Utah allocates $1.3 million.
It also recommends Utah eliminate the sales tax on food.
Read the full report here:
