Chantelle Wilkinson, director of NLIHC’s Opportunity Starts at Home (OSAH) campaign, participated in a panel discussion, “Integrating Strategies for Housing and Food Security: A Multidimensional Approach to Eviction Prevention and Nutritional Access,” at a conference hosted by Feeding America. The panel focused on the connections between stable and affordable housing, nutritional security, and health. Other panelists included Dr. Carl Gershenson, lab director at Eviction Lab; Ryan Luckie, director at Freestore Foodbank; and Adam Meyer, senior director at Food Finders Food Bank. The panel was moderated by Kurt Reiber, president and CEO of Freestore Food Bank.
Panelists highlighted the importance of food banks in preventing evictions and as essential components of safety net programs. Dr. Gershenson presented his findings regarding the impact of eviction on food security and the racial disparities in eviction rates. Chantelle shared the ways housing and food security advocates are collaborating through the OSAH campaign to advance housing solutions.
When it comes to the relationship between food security and affordable housing, it is often said that the “rent eats first.” Indeed, NLIHC’s Gap report shows that 87% of extremely low-income renters spend such high portions of their income on rent that they are forced to spend significantly less on food.
Learn more about the connections between food security and affordable housing by reading an OSAH fact sheet here.
