Louisiana, South Carolina and Tennessee Residents Weigh in on Federal Funding

The poverty rate in Louisiana, South Carolina and Tennessee all exceed 14%, with Louisiana having the highest rate at nearly 20%. Helping to change this narrative are large Federal investments like the State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). SEAP conducted a survey throughout February and March 2023 to gain insight into food-insecure residents’ challenges and how they would like their leaders to address them with federal funding. SEAP received more than 1,600 responses to our survey. This report builds on the SEAP 2021-2022 American Rescue Plan (ARP) Community Needs Survey, which SEAP promoted in Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi. The results are similar, with affordable housing and utilities as top challenges, although food security is now a top concern for respondents.