As COVID-19 lockdown worsens hunger, California must increase access to food benefits

As we enter Lockdown 2.0, my thoughts have turned to March, when we all hunkered down for what we thought would be three or four weeks, tops. Like most of us, I didn’t imagine that, nine months later, we’d be back in the same place we started. But then I realized that for many Californians this time isn’t the same. It’s much, much worse.

We’ve heard countless stories about families dealing with layoffs, worrying about paying rent, caring for sick family members and — for far too many — not being able to afford enough food.

The data, combined with our own observations, paints a stark picture of the level of hunger in our state. Data from the U.S. Census Household Pulse Survey show that more Californians are facing food insufficiency than at any time it was measured.

We’ve seen long lines at food distribution sites, schools have been serving grab-and-go meals to students who would normally eat at school and applications for CalFresh, our state’s version of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program tripled in April and May. The state has also set up new programs like Pandemic EBT for school kids, and programs aimed at delivering meals to homebound seniors. Still, the nutritional needs of Californians aren’t being met.

And like the harm of the virus itself, the effects of hunger are being disproportionately felt by low-income Black and Latinx families. In many cases, these are the same “essential” workers that are still being forced to work to provide the basic necessities we all rely on, including our food. While we don’t yet know the long-term health impacts of COVID-19, we can be certain that the brunt of the impact will be felt by our Black and Latinx friends and neighbors.

At the same time we are facing a hunger crisis, the state is facing a fiscal crisis. Budget analysts predict that we may weather the storm in 2021, but the following years the state budget will be deep in the red. Without relief from the federal government — always a dicey bet — state leaders will face tough choices, and vital services may be on the chopping block.

Fortunately, we have a tool in our toolbox that was made for just this dual problem of fiscal calamity and rising rates of hunger. In the last recession, the federal government boosted Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits to ensure people had enough to eat and to stimulate the economy. SNAP is an effective economic stimulus program because benefits are spent quickly and locally, generating $1.50 in economic activity for every $1 in benefits. Congress should act as they did previously and raise SNAP benefits across the board to help alleviate hunger and boost the economy.

But what if federal leaders won’t act? There are things state leaders can do. Right now, only about seven in 10 eligible Californians participate in CalFresh, meaning we are missing out on more than $2 billion in federal food benefits every year. This money is sitting in Washington instead of being spent by struggling families at the supermarket or the local farmers market.

How can we close the CalFresh participation gap? First, make it easier to complete the application by phone, as advocates have recommended for years. Second, simplify the application for our most vulnerable — older adults and people with disabilities. These are common-sense solutions that we shouldn’t wait to act on.

As it feels like we’re going back to the beginning, state leaders should look forward, by seizing opportunities to do more with what we already have. By leveraging the funding in CalFresh that’s already there but unclaimed, we’ll make it easier for Californians to make ends meet and put food on the table.