Houston Food Bank announces distribution sites amid SNAP cuts
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A Houston Food Bank distribution event in 2024. Photo: Jon Shapley/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images
The Houston Food Bank is stepping up distribution as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits dry up and federal workers continue to go without pay.
Why it matters: The federal government shutdown will stop food aid Saturday for nearly 42 million Americans.
By the numbers: More than 830,000 people, including 426,000 children, utilize SNAP benefits in the Houston region, according to Texas Health and Human Services. That translates to more than $152 million in assistance each month.
- There are also more than 65,000 federal employees in the region, per Congress.
Driving the news: The Houston Food Bank will host twice-weekly distribution events for federal workers and SNAP benefit recipients "for as long as it takes," the nonprofit's president and CEO, Brian Greene, said this week.
- The first will be Saturday at NRG Stadium from 9am-1pm.
- Those in need must register ahead of time either online or by calling 211.
What they're saying: "Houston always steps up," Greene said. "We're going to step up this time."
Greene urged the public to donate as the organization anticipates the uptick.
- "That would make a huge difference," Greene said. "In cases like this, people are going to be struggling to pay their rent. The one advantage we have with food is, it's where we can get great leverage on the dollar."
The big picture: Food banks nationwide say that when SNAP benefits run out this week, they will face a demand they can't possibly meet alone.
- The gap was already set to be exacerbated by sweeping SNAP eligibility changes in the Trump administration's tax and spending bill, including expanded work requirements.
- Food banks and other nutrition nonprofits were already strained by other federal program cuts. The Houston region's Meals on Wheels program lost $500,000 in federal funding unrelated to the shutdown.
Threat level: The pain of food costs could coincide with Affordable Care Act premiums soaring for millions with the expiration of enhanced tax credits.
- Extending those credits has been Democrats' key sticking point during the shutdown.
What we're watching: Food banks typically see extra demand during the holiday season.
Go deeper: Food banks brace for millions without SNAP