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This story was produced by the Oregon Journalism Project, a nonprofit newsroom covering the state.
Federal funding for SNAP will run out Nov. 1 if the federal government remains shut down, leaving more than 757,000 Oregonians without the support they rely on to buy groceries.
“Older adults and people with disabilities could face impossible choices between groceries, rent and medicine,” said Oregon Food Bank public policy advocate Sammi Teo.
In Oregon, the average Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefit for a single person is $6 a day. SNAP benefits to Oregon are about $140 million a month, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data.
A study by the nonpartisan Center on Budget and Policy Priorities ranked Oregon the third-most-dependent state on the food assistance program, behind only New Mexico and Louisiana.
A data analysis by OJP shows that Malheur and Jefferson counties would be hurt most by the cutoff:
Governors in other states, including New York, Minnesota and Virginia, have taken steps to provide emergency funds and food for people who rely on the 60-year-old food assistance program if the shutdown continues.
Oregon sits on a “rainy day fund” of $2.9 billion, and lawmakers have tapped its interest earnings for emergency uses as recently as June to fight wildfires.
It is unclear whether the state has a plan to fill the gap for SNAP recipients.
As of Wednesday afternoon’s press deadline, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek’s office did not have a comment on any plans here. The governor is currently in Asia on a trade mission. On Wednesday evening, Kotek’s office announced a modest state donation of $5 million to food banks across the state.
Oregon state Sen. Khanh Pham (D-East Portland) said she supports tapping into emergency funds. “There is [internal] discussion happening, and I think we’ll know more in the coming days.”
Oregon is one of 25 states suing USDA to force it to continue funding SNAP.
Food banks in the state already face high demand, Teo said, and they don’t have the resources to feed everyone.
“Hunger is a policy choice,” Teo said. “Our leaders must act to ensure SNAP benefits reach families on time and that no one in our communities goes hungry.”
IF YOU NEED HELP: Enter your ZIP code to find the food assistance nearest you at OregonFoodFinder.org—available in 19 languages. If you receive SNAP, visit benefits.oregon.gov for updates.
