LANSING — Tens of thousands of Northern Michigan residents could go hungry this weekend as federal food benefits are set to lapse.
The Supplemental Food Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, will stop paying out benefits on Nov. 1, owing to the continued government shutdown.
“People are very nervous about it,” said Candice Hamel, executive director of Traverse City’s Father Fred Foundation. “We saw about 90 families come through our food pantry yesterday, and typically on a Tuesday, 50 would be a lot. So I think just people are starting to brace for those impacts.”
SNAP provides benefits for more than 40 million Americans and over 1.4 million Michigan residents.
Statewide, about 15% of Michigan residents are enrolled in SNAP, including close to half a million children.
“The impact of these SNAP benefits is going to be it’s going to be brutal,” Hamel said. “And it doesn’t matter if you’re working, not working, you’re healthy, unhealthy — this is going to be long-term consequences for sure.”
Hamel says that she’s worried the delay in benefits will lead some to choose between food and other necessities like rent or medication.
“It’s really going to compound. It’s tough to forecast what it’ll actually look like, and every situation is unique,” Hamel said. “But it’s not just a young, single parent. It’s also elderly, and they’ve got just maybe $50 month to cover their food costs — and that’s gone. They don’t have any extra.”
Nearly 70% of Michigan SNAP recipients are below the federal poverty line. That includes the 27% of recipients who are at or below 50% of the federal poverty line.
According to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, nearly 80% of SNAP households include someone with earned income.
“These are people who are working. They just can’t make ends meet due to just the environmental factors,” Hamel said. “It’s almost like treading water, and then somebody’s pushing you under regularly, and that’s what most of our families go through.”
More than half of SNAP households include a person with a disability, 43% of households have children, and 36% of households include seniors.
Only American citizens and those with qualified non-citizen resident status are able to receive SNAP benefits.
In Michigan, the average monthly assistance is around $170 a month per person, or less than $6 a day.
There is a chance that the program could be funded the weekend. Michigan House Democrats introduced a plan this week to fund the program with $900 million from the state.
Rep. Betsy Coffia, (D) District 103, Traverse City, says the state could borrow money from its Rainy Day Fund, which the state describes as a safeguard for state programs during economic downturns.
“There’s $2 billion in that Rainy Day Fund for Michigan right now,” she said. “I don’t know what is a rainy day if it’s not that 1.4 million Michiganders are going to go hungry. So our bill package would allow us to move state funds around to try to temporarily band-aid this.”
It’s unclear whether the proposals will move forward in the Republican-controlled House.
Short of an agreement being reached at the federal level, the Legislature approving new funding would likely be the most direct way to ensure food benefits are received quickly.
“I want zero excuses from Gretchen Whitmer, Matt Hall and Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks,” Coffia said. “The money is there, we can appropriate it. And until it runs out, we have a moral obligation to make sure Michiganders don’t go hungry — period, full stop.”
Those looking for food resources can visit MDHHS’s resource page, call the 211 help-line or check the Food Bank Council of Michigan for nearby offerings.