D.C. Hunger Solutions Urges Council to Reject Harmful Budget Cuts,  Invest in Ending Hunger in the Nation’s Capital 

Media Contact: 
Colleen Barton Sutton 
703-203-7843 
cbsutton@frac.org 

Statement attributable to LaMonika N. Jones, Director of D.C. Hunger Solutions 

WASHINGTON, April 8, 2024 – D.C. Hunger Solutions is deeply disappointed that the fiscal year (FY) 2025 budget does not include funding for anti-hunger and anti-poverty programs. By significantly decreasing and omitting funding for crucial programs like Give SNAP a Raise, Child Wealth Building Act (Baby Bonds), Early Childhood Pay Equity Fund, and Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), the District is missing a critical opportunity to make a substantial impact on tackling hunger and its root causes. This massive decrease in funding for these programs will cause unnecessary harm to many D.C. families, especially those of color. 
 
The absence of funding for Give SNAP a Raise is particularly harmful. The act, passed in January 2023, increases the minimum monthly SNAP benefit by allocating an additional 10 percent to the maximum federal allotment for families and households, provides local funding for the SNAP Program, and aligns SNAP benefits with food expenses under the Low-Cost Food Plan set by the Food and Nutrition Service at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. With food insecurity on the rise, this much needed increase in SNAP benefits for District residents was meant to provide greater support to District SNAP participants amidst rising food costs and allow for greater flexibility to purchase healthy food. 
 
The unwinding of SNAP boosts and other pandemic-era programs, coupled with the rising cost of living, have taken a toll on families. Unless swift action is taken to fully restore cuts to the FY 2025 budget to support families’ access to nutritious meals, matters will only get worse. 
 
We urge the D.C. Council to reject cuts to the FY 2025 budget and call for restored investments in programs that will ensure all District residents have access to healthy, affordable food, along with other measures that address the root causes of hunger.  

This includes: 

• funding Give SNAP a Raise with an estimated $54 million for fiscal year 2025, 
• restoring funding to create a child trust fund account for all children in households with incomes of 300 percent below the poverty level or less, 
• restoring funding to the Early Childhood Pay Equity Fund to increase compensation for child development facility staff, and 
• restoring the refundable EITC for low- and moderate-income workers. 

Hunger is a critical issue in our District, and we remain hopeful that the D.C. Council will hear our plea, reject this budget proposal, and call for a revised budget that addresses food insecurity and takes steps to end hunger in our nation’s capital. 

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About D.C. Hunger Solutions  
D.C. Hunger Solutions, founded in 2002 as an initiative of the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC), works to create a hunger-free community and improve the nutrition, health, economic security, and well-being of low-income people in the District of Columbia. To learn more about D.C. Hunger Solutions, visit www.dchunger.org.