Opinion: Cuts to food assistance will hurt families in rural Michigan, and cities
A showdown over nutrition assistance for American families is happening in Washington, D.C. Congressional Republicans have proposed deep cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as food stamps, or SNAP, to avoid raising the limit for how much money the American public can borrow to pay its bills.
As food systems advocates, we know that when people can’t afford to feed their families, local economies struggle. But even more important, it’s a moral choice to let people go hungry. One in four Michiganders could be at risk of losing their SNAP benefits, according to a Center on Budget and Policy Priorities study, if the proposed restrictions to SNAP are approved.
Let’s be clear: This scheme is not only a false choice, but cruel partisan politics at its worst. With food prices at an all-time high and the recent expiration of expanded pandemic food assistance, the last thing lawmakers should be doing is making it harder to eat. The idea of forcing unnecessary work restrictions to qualify for SNAP benefits shows lawmakers’ fundamental misunderstanding of how food assistance programs actually work in our communities, both in Detroit and in rural Northern Michigan.
One misconception about SNAP is that more people in urban communities are enrolled in the program, when in fact rural communities have higher participation in SNAP. With added barriers like lack of transportation and limited choices for purchasing, rural residents are already at a disadvantage for food access. But models exist to serve the needs of farming communities and families, including the 10 Cents a Meal initiative, that brings fresh food from local farms to schools, early care and education sites, and other sites participating in the USDA child nutrition programs.
From 10 Cents a Meal, we learned that the challenges urban populations and smaller rural populations face are very similar. Access to nutrient dense foods is a significant challenge due to income level, and historic disinvestment and inequity in both areas. Nutrition programs are also important for farmers like Nic Welty, who sells products to schools through 10 Cents a Meal via the MI Farm Co-Op. From his experience, when schools and other buyers feel that there is stable funding, they order reliably which helps build his business.
For families struggling with food insecurity, SNAP is a lifeline they desperately need to put food on the table. People will go hungry, and families will be forced to spend more of their paycheck on food that would otherwise go towards utilities and rent, putting them at risk of real financial and personal harm. Families are already struggling, and this cut would add to that burden.
Moreover, the proposed cuts could actually trigger the opposite of their intended effect. A study from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) found that SNAP benefits actually increased employment during the Great Recession years, while strict work requirements have been shown to be an ineffective way to encourage employment. In fact, most people on SNAP are too old, too young, or too sick to work and those that can maintain employment are doing so. It’s clear that when people have access to this program, it has a positive effect on their lives and our communities.
Congress is also working on farm bill funding this year, and we’re concerned that a similar showdown could happen in a few months since four in five dollars in the farm bill goes towards nutrition assistance. Lawmakers must reach an agreement to avoid any work requirements or cuts to SNAP sooner rather than later, because hungry families across the country don’t deserve to be at the mercy of a few partisan lawmakers in Washington, D.C.
Regardless of political leanings, making sure our neighbors and community members have enough to eat should be something we can all agree on. We call on all Michigan lawmakers and President Joe Biden to have the backs of families who rely on food assistance and ensure that all people, regardless of their earning potential, can thrive and be healthy.
Amanda Brezzell is a policy and engagement specialist at the Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities. Amy Kuras is the research and policy program manager at the Detroit Food Policy Council.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Opinion: Proposed SNAP food assistance cuts hurt Michigan families
