Nearly 1 in 6 Northeast Ohioans faces food insecurity as SNAP changes loom
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Nearly 300,000 residents in Greater Cleveland Food Bank's service area struggled to consistently access enough food in 2024, a new report shows.
Why it matters: Rising food insecurity is putting more pressure on Northeast Ohio's safety net just as looming federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program changes could shift millions in new costs to the state.
The big picture: Feeding America's recently released Map the Meal Gap report is based on 2024 data — the latest available — and shows about 15% of Ohioans experienced food insecurity.
Zoom in: The annual report estimates more than 291,000 people (nearly 16% of residents) in the six counties served by the Greater Cleveland Food Bank experienced food insecurity, up slightly from the year prior.
- Ashtabula County had the highest food insecurity rate at nearly 18%, followed by Richland (17%), Cuyahoga (16%), Ashland (15%), Lake (14%) and Geauga (10%).
State of play: In June, the Greater Cleveland Food Bank announced plans to build a new resource center on Cleveland's west side.
- The organization also received a $25 million pledge from Cleveland Clinic, with $5 million to support the new resource center.
What they're saying: "Food insecurity rarely exists in isolation," Kristin Warzocha, president and CEO of the food bank, said in a statement.
- "Families struggling to put food on the table are often facing challenges with housing, healthcare, employment, transportation, or other basic needs."
The bigger picture: Food demand could continue to rise as Ohio and other states implement federal changes to SNAP.
- Beginning in 2027, states with SNAP payment error rates above 6% will have to shoulder a share of benefit costs.
- Ohio's error rate was 6.8% in fiscal year 2025, which would have meant a potential cost of $160 million if that change were already in effect.
Yes, but: That's a substantial improvement from Ohio's 9% error rate in FY2024.