Overview
- The GBFB and Mass General Brigham report released Tuesday finds 40% of Massachusetts households were food insecure in 2025, equal to about 1.1 million, with 25% regularly missing meals.
- The findings draw on an October–December survey of more than 3,000 adults conducted in three languages and built on six years of statewide polling.
- Safety nets are falling short as 56% of food-insecure households used pantries in 2025 and most SNAP users say benefits do not last, with 78% receiving under $300 a month.
- GBFB points to high prices and housing costs plus new federal rules that reduced or canceled SNAP for over 150,000 residents, and notes USDA cut $3.4 million from emergency food aid in 2025.
- The burden is heaviest for Hispanic, Black, and LGBTQ+ households, and the report urges more state funding for emergency food, including a $58 million MEFAP budget, and broader anti-poverty steps.