By KYVELI DIENER Hawaii Tribune-Herald
Share this story

The efforts by Republicans in Congress to alter SNAP benefits has the potential to negatively impact about 42 million people nationwide who receive food stamps for groceries, including over 40,000 people on Hawaii Island, according to the state Department of Human Services.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program helps 21,472 Hawaii Island households by providing an average of $365 in monthly federal support for food, according to state DHS statistics from mid-May.

ADVERTISING

That accounts for 25% of the statewide SNAP beneficiaries and represents nearly 1 in 5 Hawaii County residents.

In the Republican effort to offer approximately $4 trillion in tax cuts predominantly benefiting Americans earning over six figures annually, a bill working its way through Congress would cut a proposed $300 billion from SNAP over 10 years.

An analysis from the Century Foundation, a New York-based public policy research organization, found the original proposed SNAP cut of $230 billion would cause an average reduction of about $144 per month for beneficiaries in Hawaii, meaning the latest proposal would reduce benefits even further.

“This is a food security crisis,” said Kristin Frost Albrecht from The Food Basket of the “no-win situation” facing struggling families if the cuts are enacted. “At The Food Basket, we have seen a steady increase in families with two working parents and young children coming in to receive food on a regular basis.”

“Here in Hawaii, far too many individuals and families are struggling to put food on the table. One in three households experience food insecurity, and nearly 30% of households with children report that one or more children are going without enough to eat,” state DHS Director Ryan Yamane said about SNAP, calling it, “critical to the well-being of our residents.”

Frost Albrecht said The Food Basket distributed over 3.2 million pounds of food islandwide last year, and said the food bank’s emergency food program supports more than 60,000 people every month through “a network of over 85 partner agencies, including pantries, soup kitchens, keiki backpack and school pantry programs, community distributions, and our senior program, Kupuna Pantry.”

“I fear the continued cuts to the social safety nets like SNAP will cause food insecurity to increase at a rapid rate, particularly on our island that already is experiencing some of the worst food insecurity in the nation,” Frost Albrecht said, adding that groceries imported to Hawaii are typically 61% more expensive than elsewhere in the U.S. “The proposed reductions in SNAP benefits will make it more difficult for families to afford groceries, which can lead to increased hunger and malnutrition, especially among our most vulnerable residents — keiki and kupuna.”

“This bill doesn’t just trim around the edges, it guts SNAP, one of the most effective, anti-hunger, anti-poverty programs we have,” U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda (Hawaii, District 2), a member of the House Committee on Agriculture, said in a statement.

She went on to call the proposed cuts a, “cruel, calculated choice … that takes that takes food away from hungry families on a larger scale than ever before in our history.”

Frost Albrecht said The Food Basket has been experiencing “significant cuts in shipments of federal commodity foods that food banks typically rely (on)” since the Trump administration began at the start of the year, adding, “we are incredibly grateful to our donors who have been reaching out to help cover the costs of additional food resources to help us keep up with the escalating need.”

Additional proposed changes to SNAP, which some lawmakers see as a discouragement from self-reliance, would make application rules tighter and change work requirements for those receiving support from the program.

Adults aged 54-64 receiving benefits would be required to work if the proposals pass, as would parents with children over the age of 7. Currently, parents of children under the age of 18 are exempt from work.

A calculation that state Senate Minority Leader Brenton Awa shared with Honolulu Civil Beat suggests that about 15,000 Hawaii residents could lose their SNAP benefits partly in relation to the new work requirements.

Beyond limiting access to and the amount received from SNAP, the proposed changes could force the state to assume more fiscal responsibility for the program.

“The shift to state cost-sharing is a heavy lift … in a state that is already reeling from the impacts of the recent Maui wildfire disaster, among other pressing issues,” Frost Albrecht said. “I’m grateful that our state had the foresight to put $200 million aside for the budget shortfalls looming on the federal horizon, but I worry that that amount may not adequately address the many needs challenging our state’s most vulnerable residents.”

Both Frost Albrecht and Yamane pointed out how critical SNAP support is to the overall well-being of the state’s economy, in addition to simply keeping people fed.

“SNAP currently reaches over 82,00 households, more than 157,000 individuals across the state, and delivers more than $695 million annually in benefits,” Yamane said. “These funds help families put food on the table, and they also support local businesses and our broader economy.”

Frost Albrecht said the statewide DA BUX food program supports 160,000 SNAP beneficiaries by offering them 50% off of Hawaii-grown produce at 100 retail outlets across the islands. In 2024, $2.6 million in discounts were issued to help people purchase $5.2 million in locally grown produce statewide, she said.

Locally grown produce also is part of The Food Basket’s emergency response plan if federal cuts force more people into the pantry to help feed their families: Frost Albrecht said the nonprofit is planning to “begin growing food at our Ponahawai site to lessen our reliance on food that is transported from 2,500 miles away and provide access to higher quality, nutritious, fresh food.”

“SNAP is a critical federal program that supports our local economy,” Frost Albrecht said. “SNAP benefits support local farmers and businesses, and helps to create jobs. A reduction in SNAP would likely negatively impact our overall economy in Hawaii.”

Email Kyveli Diener at kdiener@hawaiitribune-herald.com.