What we heard across community perspectives reporting for the April Beige Book was that elevated costs for basic necessities like food, gas, and utilities drove increased demand for support services at food pantries and housing providers. As prices go up, low- to moderate-income households are using credit cards, home equity loans, and debt consolidation more often. Because wages aren’t rising much and there aren’t as many entry-level jobs, many workers are taking on second jobs or gig work, which are often lower-paying and lack reliable hours, benefits, or both. To ease the burden of higher gas prices, policymakers in the Second District—the region served by the New York Fed—introduced temporary gas tax caps and explored additional relief measures, including expanded access to public transit.
The following are verbatim excerpts from six of the Federal Reserve Districts included in the April Beige Book, which was prepared at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and is based on information collected on or before April 6, 2026.
Please note that the Beige Book summarizes comments received from contacts outside the Federal Reserve and is not a commentary on the views of Federal Reserve officials.
“Community organizations and nonprofits reported that rapidly rising energy costs driven by the conflict in the Middle East and severe weather were straining finances for low- and moderate-income households. Utility bills are rising faster than incomes, intensifying financial stress and sharply increasing the demand for social services. A food pantry operator described long lines and unusually high demand. Some localities implemented temporary gas tax caps, and New York State proposed allocating resources to expand public transit options to ease transportation cost burdens.”
– New York Fed, Federal Reserve 2nd District, Community Perspectives
“In a semiannual survey of nonprofit organizations, most respondents reported a decline in their clients’ financial well-being over the past six months due to elevated prices. One respondent said more people sought foreclosure prevention services amid rising property taxes and insurance, while a homeless shelter operator observed longer stays due to the lack of affordable housing. Some respondents who assist jobseekers noticed fewer entry-level positions available. By contrast, others noted more openings for low-paying jobs—manual labor, part-time or temporary jobs, and gig work—that typically lack health-care benefits or a reliable income.”
– Cleveland Fed, Federal Reserve 4th District, Community Conditions
“Community, nonprofit, government, and other nonbusiness contacts reported stable economic conditions over the reporting period. Some contacts saw signs of softening in the labor market as indicated by significant increases in applicants for open positions. Comments from state government and municipal contacts reflected concerns about rising prices and a weaker job market, as well as uncertainty in light of the conflict in the Middle East. Small businesses continued to observe lower foot traffic along commercial corridors in immigrant communities. For low-income consumers, contacts reported that the higher cost of gas had further stretched household budgets, putting added pressure on other community supports, such as food pantries.”
– Chicago Fed, Federal Reserve 7th District, Community Conditions
“Financial conditions for low- and moderate-income (LMI) populations have worsened due to persistently high inflation. Contacts noted that prices have increased on auto, health, and home insurance, utilities, and gasoline in recent months. They also saw an increase in credit card utilization, home equity loans, and debt consolidation loans in trying to cope with costs, as the prolonged price pressures have already led to significant cuts in their spending. One contact succinctly stated that LMI households “can’t out-budget low wages, tariffs, and inflation.” Relatedly, delinquencies and defaults on credit cards and mortgages had also notably increased.”
– Kansas City Fed, Federal Reserve 10th District, Community Conditions
“Nonprofits continued to report elevated demand for social services. One contact cited increased demand among higher-income households, particularly for help with mortgage payments. More households are utilizing community resources such as food banks and neighborhood gardens, which one contact attributed to rising food costs and concern about future changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Contacts said that low- and moderate-income individuals continued to supplement their incomes through second jobs or increased work hours, even while some are enrolled in upskilling programs. Funding and volunteer shortages were a challenge for some nonprofits, and one contact reported that rising gas prices may compel volunteers to reduce hours delivering meals to homebound seniors.”
– Dallas Fed, Federal Reserve 11th District, Community Perspectives
“Community needs remained elevated, and rising gas prices strained household budgets. Conditions for nonprofit organizations became more strained, as prior federal and local funding was used up and renewals carried lower dollar values. Several organizations reduced workforce levels to address funding shortfalls, even as demand for services remained high. Some contacts reported increased difficulty affording health care, as costs escalated for both employers and individuals.”
– San Francisco Fed, Federal Reserve 12th District, Community Conditions
Visit the April Beige Book report for a full national summary and more information about economic conditions from each Reserve Bank, including labor markets, financial services, real estate, and more.
