The chaos caused by punitive federal food policies over the past year was clear. A historic, 43-day government shutdown stalled SNAP benefits for millions of families, threatening their wellbeing and financial stability along with the small businesses and local economies that depend on those dollars. Now H.R. 1 — the federal budget bill slashing $186 billion from SNAP over the next decade, known as CalFresh in California — is taking effect, and thousands across San Francisco and Marin will lose benefits in the coming months.
Families will be left without the funds to buy groceries, and the local stores that rely on those dollars will see business dwindle, at a time when the region is still recovering.
But we are not powerless. Together, we can build local and regional solutions so everyone in our community has adequate access to the healthy food they need.
More than 121,000 residents in San Francisco and Marin rely on CalFresh¹. And 19,000 people are at risk of losing benefits due to harsh 3 month limits on assistance, excessive red tape, and immigrant bans. The intentional shredding of the safety net will have severe impacts on individual households and local businesses across the counties we serve.
of recipients at risk
of losing CalFresh benefits
in San Francisco²
of recipients at risk
of losing CalFresh benefits
in Marin³
¹ According to the California Department of Social Services: CalFresh annual participation. https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/california.department.of.social.services/viz/CFdashboard-PUBLIC/AnnualParticipation
² According to SF.gov: San Francisco residents at risk of losing CalFresh benefits. https://www.sf.gov/news-mayor-lurie-takes-next-step-to-help-keep-san-franciscans-on-critical-food-assistance-after-federal-cuts
³ According to California Food Banks: CalFresh economic indicators. https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/cafb.research/viz/EconomicIndicators_17268626910250/CalFresh
They told me that I no longer qualify because I haven’t reached age 64. I’m 58 years old this year. Now they’re saying they’re going to stop my food stamps. They’ve sent me two letters.”
Every CalFresh dollar generates $1.50 in economic activity⁴ — money that leaves households’ budgets and hits store registers within weeks. That’s $43 million in purchasing power vanishing from San Francisco and Marin, rippling out to $64 million in lost business activity⁵.
total lost benefits
in San Francisco and Marin
in lost
business activity
Independent grocers, already running on 1-2% margins, can least absorb lost CalFresh dollars: a fraction of that revenue can mean the difference between staying open and closing — leading to even less food access in communities.
4 Based on USDA Economic Research Service. https://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/93528
⁵ Based on recipients at risk from above average annual CalFresh benefits. Note: the Legislative Analyst’s Office does not make a distinction between Households and CalFresh persons. https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4971
It affects the economy, especially in Chinatown. You know, a majority of the customers pretty much depend on CalFresh, EBT, food stamps. If they don't have the money, they are not gonna buy more, of course it affects our business [at] the same time.
This year, 560,000 Californians are at risk of losing CalFresh because of harsh federal restrictions — on top of tens of thousands of lawfully present immigrants disqualified because of citizenship status. And there’s a growing number of individuals opting not to even apply for CalFresh out of concern over heightened immigration enforcement. Apprehension about federal access to a person’s data is prompting citizens in mixed-status households to avoid CalFresh, for fear of jeopardizing loved ones — and it’s a reason some immigrants avoid food assistance altogether.
of surveyed San Francisco residents say immigration enforcement is a barrier to getting any food assistance
I'm an American citizen. My partner, he’s a legal green card holder, but not a citizen and with these times… midway through the [CalFresh] application, I just stopped and said, I don't want to put him in a government database.”
say the food they bought didn’t last, and they didn’t have money to buy more
of surveyed low-income San Francisco residents worry about running out of food
Households in San Francisco do not earn enough to cover basic needs⁶
Households in Marin do not earn enough to cover basic needs⁶
full-time minimum-wage jobs are now needed to cover basic needs in both counties.
of households we serve have at least one adult who is working
⁶ Based on the United Way’s Real Cost Measure. https://unitedwaysca.org/realcost/
Despite the past year’s challenges, we remain unapologetic in our commitment to ensuring people have access to healthy foods and to innovating new ways to fight hunger. We serve as the engine for a coordinated food network providing 46,000 households across San Francisco and Marin with fresh groceries each week — 74% of which are fresh fruits and vegetables. And while we address immediate hunger, we continue to advance policies to end hunger.
This year, we led advocacy making it dramatically easier for nearly 350,000 income-eligible students at every public college and university in California to qualify for CalFresh.
We are not powerless. Together we can advance local solutions to make lasting change. We can choose policies that disrupt hunger, not cause it. Join us in the fight to end hunger: donate, volunteer and make your voice heard.
