Anti-Hunger & Nutrition Coalition
Bringing the voices of hungry Washingtonians to our lawmakers in support of public policies to end hunger and fight poverty in our communities.
Legislative Priorities
Research conducted by UW and WSU since the pandemic began shows that over half of all low income households surveyed struggle with food insecurity. Low income families with children, people of color, and seniors are most at risk. Each year, members of the Anti-Hunger and Nutrition Coalition (AHNC) identify smart policies to fight hunger and poverty for our state legislative agenda - and it's never been more urgent than now.
AHNC’s priorities are grounded in community experiences and policy expertise - in other words, the Coalition knows what works to solve hunger. Priorities include expanding access to free school meals, supporting food banks, and feeding hungry seniors, in addition to anti-poverty strategies such as implementing fair housing legislation, expanding tax credits for low-income households, and improving TANF for families with children.
The Anti-Hunger and Nutrition Coalition is led by Claire Lane. To contact Claire, email claire.lane2@gmail.com.
Legislative session ended on April 27th, and the governor signed the state budget on May 20th, 2025. Critically, funding for food banks and other nutrition programs was maintained despite the state’s difficult financial position, and deep cuts to education and housing were also avoided.
2025 Legislative Session Successes
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(Sponsors - Rep. Berry/Sen. Lovelett)
Our Ask: Invest $93.25 million in WSDA’s Food Assistance Programs to support food banks in every community.
Fully funded
Food insecurity has spiked in the past two years, affecting nearly 1 in 10 households statewide. Prices remain stubbornly high for essentials, especially food, creating unprecedented challenges for hungry people – and the food banks that serve them. In the last year, there were nearly 13.4 million client visits to local food banks (up from 7.8 million in 2019), yet food donations are down. This funding will help keep food on the shelves of food banks for those who need it most.
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(Sponsors - Rep. Thai/ Sen. Chapman)
Our Ask: Invest $35.4 million to fund current caseload of DSHS nutrition programs that serve low income elders.
Mostly funded
Our senior population is growing – but too many are struggling to meet basic needs. Nationwide, senior hunger rose 20% from 2021 to 2024, and nearly 1 in 10 Washington seniors lives in poverty now - the highest rate in at least a decade. This funding will help maintain support for current caseloads of senior nutrition programs which are key to keeping people healthy, safe in their homes, socially connected, and able to access other supportive services to maintain health.
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(Sponsors - Rep. Nance/Sen. Goehner)
Our Ask: Invest $6 million to fight hunger and help low income people afford more healthy, fresh produce.
Partially funded
Washington has built a successful statewide network of partners for this program: farmers markets, Safeway, independent grocers and community health clinics help SNAP shoppers and food insecure patients afford to buy healthy produce and stretch their food budgets. This funding will help to make healthy food more available for low-income households, including fresh and local produce.
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Our Ask: Provide $11.83 million to DSHS to manage SUN Bucks in partnership with OSPI
Fully funded
This funding will provide for the administration of summer EBT program, now called SUN Bucks, which provides funds over the summer for low income students’ families to buy groceries. It was wildly successful in its first summer: almost 600,000 students’ families received nearly $71 million in federal food assistance.
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A major Anti-Poverty Priority bill, HB 1217, was passed by the legislature this session and signed by the governor. This law protects tenants from excessive rent increases, predatory fees, and inadequate notice of rent hikes. Food security is tied to housing security, so ensuring greater protections and more time to adjust when rents do go up will not only decrease evictions and homelessness but also help households across Washington ensure steady access to food.
About the Anti-Hunger and Nutrition Coalition
Working together since 1990, the Anti-Hunger & Nutrition Coalition is a statewide coalition of organizations and individuals committed to ending hunger and fighting poverty in Washington State. The Coalition brings the voices of hungry Washingtonians to our policy makers to ensure that public policy leads our response to hunger in our state of plenty.
Together, the Coalition supports state and federal policies and investments that directly impact Washington’s ability to end hunger in our communities. AHNC has successfully advocated for strategic policy and funding to maximize federal nutrition programs (including food stamps, school meals, WIC, and more); reinforce the community-based emergency food assistance system; and link local farmers with the needs of hungry people.
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Additional Resources
March 2025 | 2025-2027 Operating Budget Community Sign-On Letter
Signed by over 170 community organizations, this sign-on letter urges budget leaders in the Washington State legislature to prioritize funding for hunger relief programs in the state budget.