D.C. Hunger Solutions Applauds Full Funding of Give SNAP a Raise 

Media Contact:   

Brittani Riddle  
briddle@frac.org  
202-640-1089, ext. 3039  

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

WASHINGTON, October 4, 2023 — D.C. Hunger Solutions applauds full funding of the excess revenue amendment in support of the Give SNAP a Raise Amendment Act. We are pleased the District of Columbia Chief Financial Officer was able to certify excess revenue necessary to supplement SNAP benefits at the local level. This act will increase the minimum monthly Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit and will improve food security for individuals and families with low incomes in the District by:  

• providing local funding for SNAP;  
• increasing SNAP benefits to match food expenses under the Low-Cost Food Plan set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service;    
• changing the maximum benefit to 10 percent of the maximum allotment for families; and 
• allocating $39 million to SNAP participants and $20 million to excluded workers. 

SNAP is our nation’s first line of defense to combat hunger. Nine percent of households in the District experience food insecurity. The pandemic further exacerbated hunger in our city, and many residents who participate in SNAP saw dramatic cuts to their monthly benefits after the end of temporary pandemic-era benefits boosts in March, which caused a hunger cliff. This legislation is a significant step forward in addressing food insecurity and ensuring thousands of D.C. residents have greater flexibility and equitable access to purchase nutritious food. 

We are grateful that the D.C. Council understands that the more than 140,000 residents who participate in SNAP and the District’s excluded workers will greatly benefit from the amendment fully funding Give SNAP a Raise. We celebrate this important stride toward ending hunger in the 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.