Moses Lake Today

Thirty percent of households experienced food insecurity since the start of the COVID-19 stay-at-home rules, a study from Washington State University found. 

The university's study, released in November, looked at households in Washington and also found that 59% of those homes had children. 

"We wanted to understand how access to food and economic security for Washington residents has changed amid the COVID-19 pandemic," Washington State University Food Systems Program Director Laura Lewis said in the university's release about the study. 

The university study, done in collaboration with Tacoma Community College, noted that in April, 1.6 million residents had food insecurities, and that figure now likely sits at 2.2 million, a third of the state's population. Washington's estimated population as of April 1, 2020, is 7.6 million. 

"The estimated average for food insecurity in Washington prior to the global pandemic was in the 10-15% range," Katie Rains, policy advisor to the Washington State Department of Agriculture director, said in the university's release. 

The greater need for food has put a strain on the food banks, the release said, also noting that instead of having multiple locations, these services have consolidated the number of locations for health safety reasons. However, residents in need of food may have to drive further. 

"We need to make sure that food banks and food pantries have enough resources to meet these needs," Rains said in the release. "We're keeping an eye on the number of people coming to food banks and food pantries, especially first-time clients."

The study is based on approximately 2,200 residents in 38 counties and was conducted during June and July.