SNAP Benefits Are At Risk—Here’s How Houston Families Can Get Food Help 

If you’ve ever been to your favorite sporting event, you know the energy of a packed stadium: the buzz of conversation, the squeeze of tight seats, the sea of people stretching as far as you can see. That’s a lot of fans cheering together at a sold-out game. Big crowd, right? 

Well, in Houston, Daikin Park, home to the Astros, holds about 41,000 people. Now imagine double that crowd. Now multiply that number by 52. 

That’s roughly how many people rely on SNAP in the United States.   

Over 40 million Americans depend on SNAP each month to put food on the table. But beginning this November, amidst the second-largest government shutdown in U.S. history, millions of families will see their food assistance halted. 

Created in 1964, SNAP is the country’s largest anti-hunger program, designed to help vulnerable populations access food. To qualify, participants must meet certain income criteria. Generally, a household’s gross monthly income must be at or below 130% of the poverty line to be eligible—for a family of four, that’s about $40,000 per year. 

As reported by the non-profit Feeding Texas, Texas, has the highest population of food insecure people in the country. Roughly 3.5 million Texans receive benefits each month; more than half of the enrollees are children. All will lose their access to food until the federal government shutdown comes to an end, or, possibly, until temporary alternate measures are implemented. Potential stop-gap programs under consideration include disbursements from the federal government’s SNAP contingency fund (estimated at $5 billion), partial or incremental funding for at least some of the most vulnerable recipients (such as the elderly or people with disabilities), or state-funded SNAP benefits (such as Louisiana, New Mexico, Vermont, and Virginia have promised).  

Source: TexasWIC.org

While emergency measures for sustaining SNAP benefits are being debated, other vital nutrition programs are also at risk. The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children—better known as WIC—faces similar uncertainty. WIC supports roughly 6.7 million low-income mothers and young children by providing nutritious foods, breastfeeding guidance, and referrals to healthcare and social services. Unlike SNAP, WIC is not an entitlement program; it relies on annual funding from Congress. Because lawmakers failed to pass a spending bill before the fiscal year ended on September 30, the program entered October operating on limited contingency reserves. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, those emergency funds were expected to sustain the program only through the end of the month. 

Grocery stores, too, could feel the effects. The National Grocers Association noted that retailers often plan staffing and inventory around the timing of benefit disbursements. A lapse in WIC or SNAP benefits could trigger reduced employee hours, spoilage of perishable food, and lower sales, particularly for smaller stores that serve lower-income neighborhoods. 

Source: USDA.gov

Economists describe this sudden disruption in household purchasing power as a “demand shock.” As Sandra Black, a professor of economics at the University of Texas at Austin, explains, these shocks can raise operational costs that eventually get passed on to all consumers. And because food is essential, families who depend on programs like SNAP or WIC will likely cut spending elsewhere—on clothing, entertainment, or transportation—to keep meals on the table, said Jacob Bradt, also of UT Austin. 

With millions of Texans relying on federal nutrition assistance, these individual choices could ripple outward, touching sectors far beyond grocery aisles and influencing the broader state economy. 

Here in Houston, the impact could be particularly hard-hitting. According to recent data from the U.S Census Bureau, one out of five residents is living at or below the poverty line in Houston, which means that a significant proportion of residents in Houston and Harris County will be impacted. 

If you, or anyone you know needs food assistance, please use this guide to locate food distribution centers and other community resources in the Greater Houston Area. No one should have to face an empty table alone. 

Additional Resources

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By: Nekane Diaz, Fall 2025 Intern

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