People need good food to stay healthy. Most of us recognize that instinctively. But for millions of individuals, getting enough nutritious food isn’t as easy as it should be. Our latest blog shifts focus from Medicaid to another critical program that supports health and stability: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps.  

SNAP serves more than 41 million people each year, primarily children, older adults, and people with disabilities. Many supportive housing residents rely on SNAP for food, nutrition, and to supplement their low-income.   

Recent federal legislation (H.R.1) introduces significant changes to SNAP, including reduced funding, stricter eligibility rules, and expanded work requirements. For example, those experiencing homelessness and youth aging out of foster care were exempt from work requirements, but as of November 2025, those exemptions are no longer in place.  Taken together, these changes will significantly alter both how states run the program and which households are able to receive food assistance. 

STATES HAVE LESS FEDERAL FUNDS FOR THE PROGRAM 

H.R.1 cuts SNAP funding by 20% with the impact already felt in fall of 2025. These reductions affect eligibility, add administrative burdens for states, and introduce new barriers for participants. States now face decisions on how to make up for reduced federal funding that could ultimately impact all residents, such as: 

• Increasing state revenue (e.g., taxes) 

• Reducingamounts of food assistance 

•  Fewer eligible people will receive assistance. 

• Adding administrative hurdles that may discourage participation 

Starting in Fiscal Year 2027 (July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027, for most states), states must cover 75% of administrative costs, up from 50% previously.  At the same time, H.R.1 removes inflation adjustments, meaning benefit levels may not keep pace with increases in food prices. 

New Cost-Sharing Requirements 

States may also need to contribute directly to SNAP food benefits depending on their Payment Error Rate (PER): 

• Below 6% PER: No state contribution required 

• Only Idaho, Nebraska, Nevada, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Wisconsin, Wyoming and the U.S. Virgin Islands met this threshold, according to 2024 USDA data. 

• 6%–8% PER: States pay 5% of benefit costs 

• Hawaii, Iowa, Louisiana, New Hampshire, North Dakota and Washington State met this threshold. 

• 8%–10% PER: States pay 10% 

• Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia met this threshold. 

• Above 10% PER: States pay 15% 

Most states, including large ones like California, Florida, New York, and Pennsylvania, fall into the highest contribution category. This further strains already tight state budgets. 

EXPANDED WORK REQUIREMENTS AND FEWER EXEMPTIONS 

The SNAP program has had work requirements since 1996, but H.R.1 significantly expands them by removing exemptions for people most vulnerable for poverty, housing instability and poor health. Previously exempt groups that must now meet work requirements include:  

• People experiencing homelessness 

• Youth aging out of foster care 

• Adults ages 55-65; adults over 65 continue to have an exemption 

• Parents of children ages 14-18.  Parents of children aged 13 or younger remain exempt 

These individuals must now work at least 80 hours per month or can only receive benefits for 3 months within a 3-year period.

Additionally: 

• The unemployment rate exemption has been tightened. Previously, areas with unemployment below 10% were exempt, with the understanding that work could be hard to find.  Now, the threshold is just 3%, dramatically reducing eligibility for exemptions.  

• States are required to screen potential and active SNAP recipients for work requirement compliance or exemptions.

Many states are developing cross sector data strategies, so that a person who has documented meeting work requirements in one system (SNAP or Medicaid), will be noted as meeting the requirements in the other system. However, state capacity to implement these systems varies widely between states. 

INCREASED BARRIERS FOR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES 

H.R.1 also limits SNAP benefits for people with different immigration statuses. While undocumented people have never been eligible, SNAP has historically been available to other immigrant groups after a five-year waiting period, with exceptions for humanitarian groups (such as refugees).  

Under H.R.1, SNAP eligibility is limited to: 

1. Legal Permanent Residents (green card holders)  

2. Immigrants from Cuba and Haiti 

3. People from Compact of Free Association (COFA) nations

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that 2.4 million people will lose SNAP benefits in an average month because of these and other changes to the program required under H.R.1.  

WHAT CAN YOUR AGENCY DO TO PREPARE 

Housing providers, service agencies, and community organizations can take several steps to respond: 

1. Collect and leverage data 

• Identify who among your residents or clients is affected 

• Track benefit loss and emerging food needs 

• Use data and personal stories to inform advocacy efforts 

2. Train staff 

• Inform staff of SNAP policy changes and requirements and other ways to support tenants (see 4 below) 

• Provide ongoing training as state systems evolve 

• Partner with local SNAP experts to strengthen navigation and referral processes 

3. Educate your residents and those you serve 

• Help people understand new work and documentation requirements 

• Clarify who remains eligible and who may lose benefits 

• Support tenants in maintaining benefits when possible 

4. Partner with your local community leaders who work to prevent and end hunger 

• Connect with local food banks and anti-hunger organizations (e.g., Feeding America affiliates) 

• Leverage their expertise to support residents’ nutrition needs 

• Collaborate on outreach and resource coordination 

CONCLUSION 

H.R.1 introduces sweeping changes to SNAP that will likely increase barriers to food assistance for low-income individuals. As with Medicaid, SNAP is state administered, meaning the impact will vary based on how each state responds and implements these new requirements. 

The housing and homelessness sectors can play a critical role by: 

• Staying informed about policy changes (CSH and the National Center for Housing + Health are great resources for this) 

• Training their residents and staff on how to respond 

• Partnering with local experts in the anti-hunger sector 

 By taking these steps, providers can help ensure that no one who qualifies for support is left struggling to afford food.