SNAP

Senator Peter Welch commended the work local school nutritionists are doing in the face of federal cuts. But said more help from Washington is needed

Amid federal funding cuts and rising costs, Capital Region advocates warn of a growing gap between available food and those at risk of going hungry.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act made dramatic changes to who will be eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and thousands of New Yorkers will no longer be eligible for the food assistance benefit. The costs of SNAP, like administration and benefits, are being shifted to New York counties. And they only have months to figure it out.

This year’s historic government shutdown put a spotlight on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP - the means by which millions of Americans facing food insecurity put food on the table. A new report from researchers at UMass Amherst explores misconceptions about the program, and how new restrictions from the Trump administration could have massive consequences for both working people and the national economy.

The pause of SNAP benefits during the federal government shutdown caused some to appreciate how crucial the food assistance is to the Capital Region.

Over the past week, SNAP benefits have returned for millions of Americans, after leaving households and food providers in a precarious situation amid the government shutdown.Massachusetts was no different, where a million residents and hundreds of food pantries waited with bated breath for two weeks. Various food banks and other organizations would step up amid the SNAP cutoff, and on Monday, Governor Maura Healey journeyed to western Massachusetts to commend those who did.

Lawmakers in Washington voted to reopen the federal government Wednesday night, but the longest shutdown in history is likely to have a lasting impact, including in the Capital Region.

As the federal government shutdown continues, food assistance benefits for millions of Americans remain in limbo. The partial suspension of SNAP benefits complicates an already difficult situation for recipients with food sensitivities.

With the federal government committing to funding only half of this month’s SNAP benefits, states across the country, including in the Northeast, are continuing to pick a path forward with less federal food assistance funding now on the table. Massachusetts is home to at least a million people who rely on the program, with many in the state’s Gateway cities. However, as Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester State Senator Jo Comerford tells WAMC, food insecurity is just as present in one of the state’s most rural corners.

Nearly half of all residents in Springfield, Mass. utilize SNAP benefits in some way. With federal funding for the food assistance in flux, city officials have announced a series of efforts and partnerships to help stave off hunger in their community.