LYNN — Food insecurity across Massachusetts has reached record levels, and during a recent Lynn Food Policy Council meeting, leaders of local food pantries said rising gas prices and utility costs are compounding the crisis in ways that are already being felt and could worsen in the months ahead.
A recent report from the Greater Boston Food Bank and Mass General Brigham found that about 40% of Massachusetts households — roughly 1.12 million people — experienced food insecurity over the past year, an increase from prior years. At the same time, households are struggling with rising housing, utility, and transportation costs, creating what advocates describe as a layered and increasingly fragile system.
During the meeting, participants said those pressures are evident locally, particularly as city officials begin asking organizations to assess the impact of rising fuel costs.
“The mayor’s office reached out to me and they wanted to know if y’all had been noticing any impacts (or) do you foresee any projected impacts given the price of gas?” Chair Norris Guscott said.
The rising cost of fuel is not only affecting individual households but also the operations of organizations themselves.
“It’s both gas and utilities,” executive director of My Brother’s Table, Dianne Kuzia Hills, said.
“We run two large freezers and four walk-in refrigerators. I mean, we use a ton of power,” she added. Hills shared that at My Brother’s Table, ultimately, bills are three times more expensive than they usually are.
Transportation, which was already identified as a barrier in prior food access planning, has become even more difficult as gas prices climb.
“The transportation was supplied in our food action plan as a barrier to Lynn residents, and now gas prices are that much higher,” Guscott said. “And by default, that’s going to have implications on residents getting to places where we get food resources.”
Data discussed at the meeting shows that many residents rely on shared or alternative transportation to access food.
“It’s about 33% getting a ride, 36% who do drive themselves,” Hills said. “But a lot of it is walking, or public transportation and taxi lifts.”
As fuel costs rise, those systems may become less reliable. “I wonder if that is why they’re not getting a ride through other people,” Bailey Bollen, LCSW, director of community support programs, stated, pointing to the increased burden on drivers.
The effects are also being felt across the local food supply chain.
“Our farmers drive from all over Massachusetts and New Hampshire, and they started delivering one truck instead of two trucks each,” Gray Lawson of The Food Project said. “It’s just a lot. So it’s not really worth it to them,” Lawson added.
“Decreasing folks visiting the markets, and farmers are now using one truck instead of two, which overall equals fewer resources going to unneeded areas,” Guscott said.
Beyond economic barriers, council members also pointed to social factors affecting food access.
“A lot of it was just a large discussion of how folks are scared of the outside, and also just the overall political climate,” Guscott shared, noting that some organizations have seen fewer people accessing services.
Despite the challenges, organizations said they are actively working to respond through collaboration and planning.
“This is… what we’re doing. Constantly planning and thinking ahead and projecting and staying ahead of what’s happening,” Guscott said.
Efforts include expanding delivery programs and strengthening partnerships to reach vulnerable residents. “We have delivery programs… made sure that food is coming to the North Shore,” Guscott added.
Still, participants emphasized that addressing food insecurity requires a comprehensive approach. The work being done by the council is combatting the rising tide of food security in the city on a daily basis. The council also noted that they approach it from every single angle.
With food insecurity continuing to rise and cost pressures, council members stressed the importance of continued monitoring and coordination.
