• About the Study
• Methodology
• Key Findings
• Who We Serve
• How We Serve
• Local Picture
• Snapshot Comparisons
  • Selected Subgroups
    • Food Security & Income
    • Health & Food Security
    • Food Stamp Receipt
    • Having Children
    • Having Young Children
    • Seniors or Children
    • Citizenship Status
    • Children & Noncitizens
  • Income & Other Variables
  • Metropolitan Status
  • Choices
  • Food Stamp Receipt
  • Food Stamps & Food Security
  • Three Study Comparison
• Media Center

Citizenship Status and Food Security (15.2.7)

In light of recent policy discussions as to whether people who are not U.S. citizens should be able to receive benefits from the Food Stamp Program, it is also of interest to examine associations between citizenship status and food security among A2H client households.  Table 15.2.7 presents the relevant data.

Table 15.2.7
CITIZENSHIP STATUS AND HOUSEHOLD FOOD SECURITY

		Citizenship Status of Clients at A2H Program Sites
	All Client Households	Households Represented by Citizen Clients a	Households Represented by Noncitizen Clients
Food secure	29.7%	30.2%	23.6%
Food insecure without hunger	36.9%	36.4%	43.0%
Food insecure with hunger	33.4%	33.4%	33.4%
TOTAL	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%
SAMPLE SIZE (N)	51,839	48,771	3,068

Notes:  
In calculating percentages and sample sizes, we excluded item nonresponses to all variables involved.

Statistically significant based on chi-square test (d.f. = 2) at the 1% level.

a Households represented by respondents who are U.S. citizens.

As shown in the table, rates of food security are greater among households represented by citizens than among those represented by noncitizens.  In particular,

• 43.0% of the noncitizen households are food insecure without hunger, compared with 36.4% of the citizen households.
• The comparable rates for hunger are similar at around 33%.