Health is a Human Right
When families in Greater New Bedford are forced to choose between paying rent and buying groceries, it is not an accident — it’s a policy failure. Recent coverage of rising housing costs and persistent food insecurity in our region makes clear that this is not a distant issue, but a daily reality for many in our community.
As a member of Partners in Health Engage, I believe health is a human right. That means access to stable housing and adequate food must be guaranteed, not treated as optional. Yet, too many people in communities are left deciding which basic needs to go without as rents climb and food assistance programs fall short.
In the greater New Bedford area, more than 40% of renters are considered housing cost-burdened, meaning rent alone consumes a disproportionate amount of a household’s income. When that happens, food is often the first thing to go. Parents skip meals so their children can eat. Seniors stretch groceries and medications to last until the end of the month.
These are not individual failures or poor choices, but rather outcomes of a system that allows basic needs to become negotiable. In Bristol County, more than one in ten residents experience food insecurity, with even higher rates among Black and Latino households. These are not personal failures — they are predictable outcomes of policy choices.
Housing instability and food insecurity are not just economic concerns, they are public health crises. Chronic stress, poor nutrition, and delayed medical care increase the risk of diabetes, heart disease, anxiety, and depression. When people are forced to worry about keeping a roof over their head or putting food on the table, their health inevitably suffers, and so does the health of our community.
We should not accept a system that expects people to sacrifice their well-being for survival. I urge Senator Elizabeth Warren, Senator Ed Markey, Representative Bill Keating, and other local leaders to take action by expanding federal housing vouchers, protecting and increasing funding for SNAP, and investing in affordable housing development in communities like ours.
If we truly believe health is a human right, our policies must reflect that.
Elizabeth DaCunha, Fairhaven
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Click here to download the 3/26/26 issue: 03-26-26 MealsOnWheels
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