Human Services News

FRAC Press Release: Report, " Food Stamp Access in Urban America: A City-by-City Snapshot"

Washington, D.C. -- More than $1.9 billion in food stamp benefits was left unclaimed by 24 of the largest U.S. cities and urban counties in 2004, according to Food Stamp Access in Urban America, the Food Research and Action Center's latest survey of food stamp usage and hunger.

According to FRAC's Local Access Indicator (the measure used by FRAC to calculate local participation in the program), it is estimated that only 66 percent of the people in the 24 cities who were eligible for food stamps were actually receiving benefits.

While outreach efforts in some places are working to enroll larger numbers of eligible persons, barriers to applying for food stamps include language or cultural challenges, unnecessary red tape and other administrative barriers, concern about stigma or low-income people simply just not knowing that they are eligible.

"Too many families in America's cities are facing a constant struggle against hunger.

Food stamp participation in the surveyed cities was lowest in San Diego (Calif.), with only 27 percent participating, and in Clark County (Las Vegas, Nev.), with 43 percent participating.

"Research shows that each dollar in federal food stamp benefits generates nearly twice that in economic activity."