Food security is the measure of an individual’s ability to access and utilize sufficient food to ensure a healthy and productive lifestyle. Previous research has highlighted this issue in various populations in the Seattle area. However, the effectiveness and coverage of the available nutritional programming has yet to be determined. The goals of this project were to 1) better understand which areas of Seattle are at the greatest risk of hunger and food insecurity as measured by income, and 2) to measure which areas are most underserved by nutrition programming. A visual representation of Seattle was created to identify specific census tracts with a population that is at-risk of food insecurity by incorporating economic, social, and demographic data from the 2013 American Community Survey [ACS] and the 2010 Decennial Census. From this map highlighting at-risk populations and data regarding numerous social programs run by nonprofits, governmental agencies, and businesses, a geographical analysis was performed to determine the coverage and the ability of these programs to fulfill the studied population’s nutritional needs. The results of this study will enable nutritional programs and future researchers to better serve at-risk populations by focusing their efforts on underserved areas and allow more efficient allocation of resources to ensure food equity in Seattle.

The acquisition and consumption of food is a daily struggle for homeless individuals and those experiencing high levels of poverty. I use the concept of foodscapes - spaces in which food is grown, acquired, consumed, and prepared - to study the complex political, ethical, and practical factors that shape and influence the geographies of survival that homeless individuals use on a daily basis in their search for food. My research looks primarily at geographies of survival - the daily practices of provision and protection necessary to survive - that homeless individuals utilize while living in city-sponsored encampments in Seattle, WA. These unique encampments are semi-permanent in that the city has allocated the land on which they rest to this purpose for one year with the option to extend for another year. They are also unique in that they are self-governed by residents living on site, operated by local non-profit organizations specializing in homeless services, and held to city health and safety standards. This project focuses on the geographies of survival and the foodscapes utilized by residents living in these unique encampments. Central to this project's contribution to the growing literature surrounding homelessness and food security is an emphasis on “lived experiences" and perspectives of residents living in the encampments. Of particular interest were changes in provision and consumption practices by individuals after arriving at the encampments and the underlying driving factors that brought about these changes. Data generated from a series of semi-structured interviews with residents was transcribed and thematically analyzed using a series of salient codes. Reoccuring themes of Security, Community, and Sustainability emerged during this process, each of which I use to discuss the implications that semi-permanent city-sponsored homeless encampments have on the provision and consumption of food within homeless populations.