About 900,000 people in the state could see their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits reduced or eliminated, according to information provided in a statement by U.S. Sen. Patty Murray.
Murray said the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act that was signed into law July 4 “rips away health care and nutrition benefits from millions of struggling families” to fund tax breaks for billionaires.
In a news release, Gov. Bob Ferguson said the legislation will reduce monthly food assistance for the average household by about $56, and that about 130,000 Washingtonians will need to meet new work requirements to continue receiving aid.
“This bill takes food from our most vulnerable Washingtonians to give tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy,” Ferguson said. “This bill is only beautiful to billionaires.”
Local Impact Skagit County is not exempt from the potential impacts. Kas Church, community health coordinator at Skagit County Public Health, said 16.1% of Skagit residents were enrolled in SNAP as of 2022. Norah West, assistant director of the state Department of Social and Health Services, said as of June 2024 that 9,367 households in the county, which is about 16,265 people, received SNAP benefits, making up about 1.7% of the state’s total caseload.
Church said, “Any reductions in benefits will have an impact on a person’s budget ... A solution to potential reductions may be greater utilization of area food pantries. This could create additional strain on a system that is already challenged in meeting the needs of food-insecure community members.”
The county has taken steps in recent years to improve its food infrastructure. In 2020 and 2021, county Public Health and the Population Health Trust identified food security as a key issue in their Community Health Assessment. As a result, the Skagit Food Policy Council was formed to coordinate leaders across the food system, identify service gaps and build long-term strategies for greater access.
“Changes to foundational programs like SNAP may require even more collaboration, creativity and leveraging of limited resources,” Church said.
Community Action Community Action of Skagit County, a nonprofit that assists with food access, housing and other basic needs, is one of many food resources in Skagit County.
“Our mission is to stabilize lives and to equip people to get ahead on their goals,” said Elizabeth Jennings, Community Action’s director of community engagement. “Food access is a really big part of stabilization.”
Community Action operates the Skagit Food Distribution Center, which supports 16 food banks and meal programs throughout the region. Inside the facility, cold and dry storage rooms are organized with designated pallets for each food bank.
“We get these big grants in and then get the resources out,” Jennings said. “So it’s food that goes out to the food banks and to those food bank customers ... There’s also some meal programs supported through the food distribution center.”
Despite reductions in state funding, Community Action secures grants and community donations to keep operations running. It also provides resource navigation for those facing hardship.
“We have four resource centers in the county: Mount Vernon, East County, Anacortes and Skagit Vets Connect in Burlington,” Jennings said. “They’re a front door for people who maybe never had to ask for help navigating resources before.”
Community Action offers assistance with SNAP, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (or WIC), energy bills and budgeting. Staff also help people apply for the state’s Working Families Tax Credit, which can provide up to $1,200 to eligible residents.
“The main message really is the doors are open,” Jennings said. “Whatever changes happen to these public services, Community Action is here to help people figure out what they do qualify for when they come in the door.”
Jennings said she expects demand for food systems such as those provided by Community Action to increase if SNAP is impacted.
“According to the data that we’ve seen, the changes to SNAP probably will increase the need for food through local food banks and food pantries,” she said. “We’re focused on maintaining the ability to assess what people need — for food, housing and basic needs.”
As the federal cuts take hold, state and local leaders are calling for community support and policy advocacy.{p class=”Paragraph SCXW42108096 BCX0” lang=”EN-US” xml:lang=”EN-US”}Murray has held events throughout the state to raise awareness and urge constituents to contact lawmakers.
Meanwhile, organizations such as Community Action are stepping up.
“Our role is no matter what resources exist or go away to help people understand what resources exist in the community,” Jennings said. “We’re here to walk with people through change.”
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