New York advocates want Gov. Kathy Hochul to fully fund November SNAP benefits.
Though federal judges have ordered the Trump Administration to use contingency funding, the Department of Agriculture said it is not enough to cover the $9 billion needed to provide food assistance this month nationwide. Hochul has put $106 million together in emergency funds for food assistance programs in the state.
Carolyn Martinez-Class, co-executive director of the group Citizen Action of New York, said state leaders must do more.
“The cost of funding SNAP benefits for the month of November is about $700 million,” Martinez-Class pointed out. “The state has over $4 billion in surplus in the fiscal year we’re in right now. There’s over $29 billion in reserves.”
More than 3 million New Yorkers are affected by the lapse in federal funding for SNAP. Nine states and Washington, D.C., have committed to directly covering some SNAP benefits, with Virginia and Delaware funding benefits for the entire month. Other states, like New Mexico, are funding the program for 10 days and will consider further funding.
New York’s approach to the crisis also includes SUNY Empire State Service Corps members helping staff food banks, advancing efforts for school as food hubs, and establishing a website of food assistance resources for New Yorkers.
Arlen Benjamin-Gomez, executive director of The Education Trust-New York, feels Hochul’s fiscal restraint is the best way to handle the situation. She said if the shutdown lingers on, New York has to be smart about how it utilizes its budget reserves.
“The more states have to fill in this gap and the more that New York has to dip into the reserves, the more we know we start to go into austerity measures,” Benjamin-Gomez projected. “And even, unfortunately, could see cuts in important programs that we’ve fought for in the K-12 education system over the years.”
It could mean cuts to programs improving schools and education, tuition assistance and higher education access. She added the benefits are critical for families who otherwise have to skip meals or rely on other family members and social service organizations for food.
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