City of Houston Food InsecurityBoard

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Thanks for visiting the Food Insecurity Board website! Council Member Edward Pollard of District J advocated to the mayor and city council for the creation of this concept to address critical issues related to food access in Houston. In December of 2021, city council voted unanimously for its addition to its formal list of boards and commissions.

PURPOSE: The Houston Food Insecurity Board is responsible for advising and making recommendations to the mayor, city council, and department directors to address issues pertaining to food insecurity that exist in the City of Houston.

The subjects to be addressed by the board shall include, but not be limited to:

  1. Reviewing and making recommendations regarding how the resources and efforts currently devoted to addressing food insecurity can be best coordinated and implemented, and how those resources and efforts can be most effectively supplemented;
  2. Identifying and developing policy suggestions modeled after other municipalities that have shown to decrease food insecurity;
  3. Developing public and private partnerships to tackle aspects of food insecurity such as food deserts and food waste;
  4. Identifying and developing policy suggestions to help tackle the social determinants of food insecurity, such as programs that help ensure affordable housing or transportation for people facing food insecurity;
  5. Identifying federal, state, and local funding opportunities; and
  6. Identifying areas in which gathering information through further study would decrease food insecurity in Houston.

About the Board

Who Serves on the Board?

The Board is comprised of 19 appointed Directors, including the Chair.

  • Members shall be broadly representative of the various sectors affected by, and/or working towards, a solution for food insecurity in Houston, such as the healthcare, agriculture, education, business, and nonprofit sectors.

How does the Board Function?

  • The Houston Food Insecurity Board meets virtually or in-person, every other month, with committees meeting more frequently. The committees are Public Policy, External Relations, and Communications and Outreach.
  • The board also will have an active advisory council composed of 20 organizations and individuals who will servic as a resource to the board and help to inform the public, attract resources, and make recommendations to reduce disparity.
  • The board will advise and produce recommendations annually to the mayor and city council to address disparities, as well as identify gaps in information that need further study. It  will also provide feedback regarding prospective policy to the mayor and city council and will generate policy proposals bringing attention to the mayor and city council issues impacting the food insecure in Houston. Board members will also publicize city-led opportunities and programs benefiting the food insecure in their communities.

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Food Warehouse

Houston launches new effort to help feed families struggling with food insecurity

Tens of thousands of Houston children will go to bed hungry tonight as their parents struggle with putting meals on the table. The City of Houston is working to help the more than 700,000 ...

KHOU Channel 11 • 12.08.2021

Peppers and Tomatoes

New food insecurity board launched to help fight hunger in Houston

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and the city council approved the food insecurity board last week. The food insecurity board is an amendment to the city’s charter that’s only been done a few times in the past 20 years. ...

KPRC Channel 2 • 12.06.2021