Politics & Government

How Many People Receive Food Stamps In San Leandro

The federal program known as SNAP has been in high demand during the recession

As Congress debates how much funding to provide to the federal food stamp program, people who receive the benefits continue to rely on the monthly staple to make ends meet.

In San Leandro, 9,352 people were listed as being food stamp beneficiaries as of June 30, according to the latest figures from the Alameda County Social Services Agency.

That's about 11 percent of San Leandro's 85,000 residents.

The Alameda County city with the most recipients is Oakland with 61,869, about 26 percent of its population.

Overall, Alameda County has 121,058 people receiving food stamps. The county distributed $19.8 million in federal funds for that program in June.

California had 4.16 million food stamp recipients in April, up from 3.95 million in April 2012. That month, the state distributed $643 million in food stamp benefits to 1.89 million households.

Contra Costa County Supervisor Karen Mitchoff says food stamps are a vital benefit that should be one of the last government programs to be cut.

She said shelter and food are essentials as the nation comes out of the recession.

"At this point, we need to provide food stamps to people who need them," she said. "It's a vital safety net that we need to provide."

Mitchoff worked in the county social services department from 1998 to 2010. Part of her job was analyzing data on programs such as food stamps.

She rejects the notion that recipients are lazy, noting beneficiaries have to meet certain qualifications on a monthly basis.

"People are on food stamps because they need food," she said.

She added many people may not realize how many people receive food stamps because a benefits card is now used instead of actual stamps.

"Your next door neighbor could be on food stamps," she said.

Patch contacted the Contra Costa Taxpayers Association for comment, but they declined the opportunity to speak.

The food stamp program is known at the federal level as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). It's part of the Department of Agriculture.

In California, it's called the CalFRESH program.

SNAP funding has increased sharply during the recession. In 2008, the program received $34 billion. In 2010, it was allocated $64 billion.

More than 46 million Americans received food stamps in 2012. The average benefit was $133 per month.

The food stamp program has been a focus of the congressional Farm Bill this year. Two weeks ago, Republicans in the House of Representatives approved a 10-year, $190 billion Farm Bill.

However, the bill did not include the $743 billion over 10 years proposed for SNAP. Republicans want to take up SNAP funding in a separate bill later this summer.

Senate Democrats have approved a $955 billion Farm Bill that includes food stamp funding, so it's uncertain what will happen before the current funding runs out on Sept. 30.


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