Report: Inflation Could Cause ‘Uptick in Hunger, Homelessness’

Poll findings suggest “U.S. cities could be facing an uptick in hunger and homelessness in the next coming months…” because of rampant inflation overseen by the Biden administration, Axios reported on Monday.

The outlet spoke with Robert Blendon, the co-director of an NPR, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health survey which found that Americans are struggling to afford housing and “timely medical care for serious illnesses.”

“It’s very striking,” Blendon told Axios. “We’re in an inflationary period here and it’s unusually broadly hitting minority communities even worse than everyone else.”

In a sample of roughly 4,000 adults between May 16 – June 13, 2022, 60 percent of black and Latino households, 70 percent of Native American households, 44 percent of white households, and 36 percent of Asian households say inflation is causing serious financial hardship. The poll also found that 16 percent of black renters, 10 percent of Latino renters, 21 percent of Native American renters, 9 percent of white renters, and 5 percent of Asian renters, “say they have either been evicted or threatened with eviction.” The poll focused heavily on comparing racial/ethnic minority populations to the white population.

Other media outlets have released similar reports about how inflation is impacting hunger and homelessness. In July, the Washington Post noted that “rising housing costs, combined with persistent inflation for basic necessities such as gas and food, have left more Americans newly homeless and millions more fearing they’ll soon lose their homes.” Food banks across the country are also reporting a higher demand than during the coronavirus pandemic.

The survey was conducted before the Department of Labor released data showing that inflation, which was already at a 40-year high, rose to an annual rate of 9.1 percent in June. The real-world implications of rising inflation are expected to drive voters to the polls in November, with voters consistently listing the economy as their top priority.