Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, California food banks witnessed an increase in demand from families seeking help. However, as emergency food aid programs come to an end, California food banks are now serving more people every month. Such programs benefited 5.3 million Californians, but their conclusion is reducing benefits for households. The statewide food banks association has warned of a potential catastrophic hunger crisis this year. Food banks are transitioning from sources of emergency aid to becoming long-term supermarkets for Californians facing food insecurity.
The pandemic emergency allotments, which gave recipients of CalFresh the maximum benefits available for their household size, ended on March 26. Single-person households saw their CalFresh benefits drop from $281 to as little as $23 a month. Moreover, a federal program that provided eligible households food benefits to replace in-person school meals will conclude at the end of this school year. While a summer program will replace it, the benefit will be $40 per month for each child, a significant drop from the $125 per month for each child families received last summer.
Food banks are also concerned about the federal debt ceiling agreement that imposes more work requirements on food aid recipients. As people receive less CalFresh benefits, they turn to food banks, and the debt ceiling agreement could have devastating effects. Even with the extra benefits during the pandemic, 20% of Californians still faced food insecurity in 2021. Food banks expect this number to rise rapidly this year.
The Legislature has initiated efforts to increase the minimum CalFresh benefit through Senate Bill 600, which would raise the amount from $23 to $50 per month. However, the estimated cost of $95 million a year raises concerns amid California’s $31.5 billion budget deficit. Food banks across California favor this bill, along with three others aimed at ensuring access to summer food and school meals programs and providing state-funded nutrition benefits to all Californians regardless of their immigration status.
While all four bills have passed their first house, the Legislative Analyst’s Office warns that the state cannot afford costly new programs. Governor Gavin Newsom’s May budget plan includes $60 million for CalFood and more than $300 million for School Meals for All. The budget also has a total of $2.7 billion in combined state and federal funding for anti-hunger programs. However, it does not include any money for Market Match, California’s largest nutrition incentive program, which has sparked concern from farmers, food banks, and CalFresh recipients. Newsom’s plan also does not include money to increase the monthly minimum CalFresh allotment, posing a challenge for inclusion.
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