Here's how much more Houstonians paid over a year with inflation
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Maria Campos has been using the services at the Bible Way Fellowship Food Pantry for about three years.
She said the last year has been especially tough for her and her husband, who has a disability.
"It's (really) difficult," Campos told ABC13 through an interpreter. "You can't fill up your basket because of the prices."
Numbers released on Tuesday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show the average cost of living in the United States went up 8.5% from March 2021 to March 2022. This average includes everything from the cost of gas, which has gone up 48%, to the cost of electricity, which has gone up to 11% in the last 12 months.
"Your entire annual budget has gone up 8.5%," explained Dr. Christopher Clarke, an economics professor at the University of Houston.
The Southwest Office of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released specific numbers from Dallas one month, and Houston the next.
This month included an update on Dallas, but Clarke said Houston's numbers mirror the national increase of 8.5% pretty closely.
For example, the price of eating at home has gone up 10% in the last 12 months. A $200 grocery bill last spring, would cost you $220 today.
It's a feeling that is known all too well at the Bible Way Fellowship Food Pantry.
"We went from serving maybe 100 families to 200 families per distribution," said program director Tomeka Brewster. "There is a great need."
Distributions at The Bible Way Fellowship Food Pantry at 9200 Frey are from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
