Why Housing Stability Matters More Than Ever

National Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week: Why Housing Stability Matters More Than Ever

Every November, National Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week invites communities across the country to pause, reflect, and take action. It is a week devoted to understanding the realities facing millions of Americans who struggle with the most basic human needs: food and shelter. It is also a time to acknowledge the systems that fail them.

At ANCHOR, this week resonates deeply. We see every day how housing and hunger are intertwined and how the instability of one almost always destabilizes the other.

Housing and Hunger: Interconnected Challenges

We often talk about hunger and homelessness as separate crises, but in the lives of families, seniors, and veterans across the Carolinas, they rarely exist apart. When housing becomes unaffordable:

• Money for groceries disappears.

• School meals become the most reliable nutrition many children receive.

• Seniors skip medication so they can buy food.

• Families living in shelters or motels have limited access to kitchens or refrigeration.

Housing instability is almost always accompanied by food insecurity. In a year already marked by economic uncertainty and rising costs, the pressures on low-income households have increased.

 

Fragility of SNAP Underscored by Government Shutdown

This fall's federal government shutdown was a stark reminder of how precarious our country's safety net can be and how close millions of families are to the edge.

During the shutdown, the United States Department of Agriculture announced that SNAP benefits for November might not be issued on time if the funding lapse continued. SNAP, the nation's most important food safety net program, serves more than 40 million Americans. Any disruption places enormous strain on households that are already deciding between groceries, rent, medication, and transportation.

Although an emergency spending deal ultimately restored funding, and states like North Carolina were able to issue November benefits, families endured days of uncertainty. They did not know how they would feed their children, whether they would need to rely on charitable food pantries, or whether they would fall behind on rent because their food budget suddenly expanded to cover the gap.

Even with SNAP now funded through September 2026, the shutdown revealed an uncomfortable truth: Low-income families are often one Congressional impasse away from crisis. If another budget standoff emerges — which could happen as early as January 2026 — SNAP recipients may again face program delays. For households already spending half their income on rent, even a short disruption magnifies hardship.

The Carolina Core Reality

Across the region, housing costs continue to rise faster than wages. Many households spend more than 50% of their income on rent, leaving little for food, transportation, childcare, or emergencies. When SNAP is uncertain or insufficient, food insecurity increases, and the risk of eviction or homelessness increases with it.

For our communities, hunger and homelessness are not abstract policy issues. They are lived realities.

How ANCHOR Shows Up

In this environment, ANCHOR's role has never been more vital. With more than 2,500 homes developed or preserved across the Carolinas and 40 communities under management, we are committed to providing stable, affordable housing that reduces pressure on families' budgets.

Our service coordinators help seniors access SNAP, Meals on Wheels, and other nutrition supports.

ANCHORWorks connects residents to employment, job training, and financial counseling.

Our partnerships with local nonprofits and food banks help fill emergency gaps when federal benefits falter.

Our supportive housing communities provide stability, dignity, and hope.

Bringing Food Directly to Residents: Mobile Food Pantries

One of the most powerful tools in the fight against hunger is also one of the simplest: bringing food directly to where people live.

Across several ANCHOR communities, we have begun to host mobile food pantries. These pop-up distribution sites come directly onto our properties to help eliminate some of the biggest barriers our residents face:

• Transportation. Many seniors and residents with disabilities cannot easily travel to food pantry locations.

• Scheduling. Residents with multiple jobs or caregiving responsibilities benefit from on-site, flexible distribution times.

• Cost. By reducing travel expenses and providing free, fresh groceries, mobile pantries reduce financial strain.

• Stigma. On-site distribution reduces the visibility and stress of seeking help in public settings.

• At some ANCHOR communities, residents receive shelf-stable groceries, hygiene items, and holiday staples. For many households, this service fills a critical gap in nutrition access between monthly SNAP cycles.

Mobile food pantries demonstrate what effective, community-centered solutions look like: meeting people where they are, investing in dignity, and recognizing that access to food and stable housing must go hand in hand.

How You Can Help

National Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week is a time to do more than observe. It is a chance to act. You can:

• Support local food banks and mobile pantry programs – including ours!

• Advocate for affordable housing, supportive housing, and SNAP protections.

• Learn about hunger and homelessness in your community.

• Partner with organizations like ANCHOR to support long-term solutions.

Every action matters, especially when so many families are one missed paycheck or one delayed benefit away from crisis.

 

Our Commitment

As we recognize National Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week, ANCHOR reaffirms its commitment to building deeply affordable homes, strengthening resident supports, and advocating for systems that keep families safe and nourished.

At ANCHOR, we believe that housing is a human right and the first foundation of health, dignity, and opportunity.