While D.C. residents received their November Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits earlier this month, despite uncertainty amid the now-ended government shutdown, that won’t be the end of the story as a region with “persistently high” food insecurity faces ongoing changes to the federally-funded program.
Many D.C. area residents relied on food banks and distribution centers as federal funding for SNAP was up in the air in late October and early November. But food service providers say they saw an increased need for food long before that, with some providing double the number of meals in recent months. The need for food is likely to only increase as changes to SNAP are implemented under the GOP tax and spending bill passed this summer, making it harder for individuals to qualify for the program and reducing benefits for those who do.
SNAP helps low-income individuals and families purchase food. Benefits are loaded onto an Electronic Benefits Transfer card, which can be used to purchase items at most grocery stores, convenience stores, and farmers’ markets. The federally funded program serves about 42 million people, about one in eight Americans, in lower-income households. One-fifth of D.C.’s population receives SNAP benefits, about 85,000 households and 141,000 residents, according to data from D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office…