SNAP

In an informational briefing with state lawmakers Thursday, state officials and nonprofit representatives said the fallout and uncertainty from shifting federal policies make it difficult for farming operations to grow, or even continue.

Recipients between 55 and 64 years old, parents with children over 13 years old, people experiencing homelessness, and youth between 18 and 24 years old transitioning out of foster care will be required to work at least 80 hours a month to qualify for SNAP, formerly known as food stamps.

The state has more than $400 million in unspent federal funds for a program to help low-income families. HPR’s Ashley Mizuo reports on why and how it will be spent as Hawaiʻi faces cuts to federal social service programs.

Over 160,000 Hawaiʻi residents receive SNAP benefits every month. But new requirements and federal funding cuts to the program put many at risk of losing this assistance. HPR's Emma Caires has more.

The cuts impact the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps, forcing states to pay for those cuts themselves, make changes to the program, or eliminate it altogether.

A University of Hawaiʻi program that works with about 15,000 people a year is at risk after federal funding cuts. In a news release, UH says the program will end on Sept. 30 if Congress doesn't restore its funding.

The state Department of Human Services said it has a 25% vacancy for eligibility workers and 50% for clerical staff at SNAP processing centers.

The bills would establish a Farm to Families program within the state Department of Agriculture to allocate state funds to food banks for buying, storing and delivering locally grown or produced food for food-insecure communities.

A virtual marketplace for local produce is now accepting online Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program payments, giving some low-income households more accessibility.

The state wants to change the rules of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program so that more than 13,000 more households could be eligible for food stamps. HPR's Ashley Mizuo explains.