After the GOP’s signature One Big Beautiful Bill Act cut $200 billion from the nation’s largest and most effective anti-hunger program, nonprofits and other groups are working to ensure people who qualify are able to access food.
Over the past year, SNAP participation dropped by $3.3 million across the United States, including more than 27,000 in Colorado. That drop was not because families had more resources; the system just became harder to navigate.
Zahira Diaz-Hernandez, associate director of client services for SNAP outreach at Hunger Free Colorado, said her group is working to remove some of the biggest barriers.
"We also have a mobile outreach service," she said, "which means that we go out to trusted community partners like libraries, clinics and just various different places and settings where we meet people where they are.
Nearly 300,000 Colorado families could lose some or all SNAP benefits under HR 1, largely because of new work requirements, according to Urban Institute estimates. Colorado will also have to find an additional $180 million to cover its share of administrative and benefit costs.
Proponents of SNAP cuts claim that shifting costs to states will prevent fraud and waste. They also argue that work requirements protect U.S. taxpayers by reducing government spending and encouraging labor force participation, but studies show that stricter work requirements don’t help people get jobs that pay a living wage, they just reduce SNAP participation because of complex new rules and red tape.
Diaz-Hernandez said SNAP requirements are already restrictive, and there are very few instances of fraud.
"Further restrictions to this program doesn’t really change that," she said. "Those changes really just make it more confusing to navigate the SNAP requirements, and harder for people to afford food."
Nearly 40% of SNAP participants are children, 20% are older adults and 10% are people with disabilities.
Diaz-Hernandez said anyone worried about how they’re going to put food on the table should first call Hunger Free Colorado’s toll-free hotline at 855-855-4626.
"They can connect with one of our navigators and see if they are eligible to apply for SNAP," she said, "and get connected not only to application assistance but also to additional food resources. And we can assist in various languages."
