Changing intra-metropolitan spatial structures and the shift from cash assistance to a local service-oriented safety net may contribute to differential access to resources. We link data from two unique surveys, the Survey of Detroit Emergency Food Assistance Providers and a panel household survey in metropolitan Detroit following the Great Recession (Michigan Recession and Recovery Study, or MRRS), and the American Community Survey to examine the relationship between place-level characteristics and access to emergency food assistance. We also examine whether access, measured as food pantry capacity weighted by need, is associated with receipt of assistance. Our preliminary findings suggest that there are significant relationships between place-level characteristics and access to emergency food assistance. We find that urban residents have access to a higher number of pantries than suburban residents, but the capacity of those pantries weighted by potential need in the area is only weakly associated with place-level factors.