Background- HPNAP and Nourish NY

The Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program (HPNAP) is the only designated NYS Anti-Hunger Program funded with State dollars specifically for the Emergency Feeding System. This program provides funds for food as well as for capital and administrative needs, which includes anything from shelf stable products to cold storage.

Nourish NY is a new program codified in 2021 with the intention to supplement HPNAP and encourage serving fresh and local produce. Nourish NY limits buying to only fresh and local products- which is great, if the pantry is already being stocked. With these most recent allocations, pantries across the state are expected to serve their communities with this limitation on the entirety of their funding. Nourish NY is a good program, but it was not built to be a stand-alone program or a replacement to HPNAP, the programs need to work in conjunction with one another.

Funding History

Prior to the last 5-year HPNAP RFP (approx. 2018) The Food Bank of NYC undertook a study that revealed that the State was woefully underfunding HPNAP. The State recommends that EFP’s provide 3 meals for each family member for 3 days. To meet that recommendation the HPNAP budget needed to be raised to $50 million.

Despite that recommendation, in 2018 HPNAP was funded at $34.5 million.

HPNAP had not been increased, despite the growing demands and COVID, until the 2022/23 budget, when the Legislature allocated $22 million, but was not included in the base budget.

The 2023/24 budget reflected the same amount allocation despite the greatly increased lines at the doors and the increased inflation of food costs, especially post COVID.

When New York State created the Nourish NY program, it allocated over $100 million to help the farmers with their loss of business and hungry New Yorkers with nutritious fruits, vegetables, meat, and dairy products.

While Nourish NY has been codified into NYS law, the budget for the program has been greatly diminished. Due to the cut in the Nourish NY allocation, many EFP’s did not receive funding. This is an extreme loss as the products provided through the program are the most in demand.

When you combine all the federal money as well as the State’s investments during COVID to feed our communities, it is obvious to understand the crises. It is easy to comprehend why the Emergency Feeding Programs are desperate for increased financial support. Support has diminished to only $106.5 million (HPNAP/NNY) while the number of people at our doors is only increasing from peak pandemic levels. With the increased cost of food, even more people are using the emergency feeding system to help offset the loss of purchasing power.