New York City is stepping up efforts to help residents put food into their homes after thousands of people lost their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits due to new federal requirements, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced.
According to municipal data, about 26,500 New Yorkers have lost their SNAP benefits since March. The federal program, which provides food assistance to low-income households, underwent major changes under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, also known as HR 1, signed into law during Donald Trump’s presidency. The legislation toughened the requirements to access aid.
A new three-year tracking period began on October 1, allowing people who lost their benefits due to the new rules to reapply and receive up to three additional months of assistance, as long as they meet other eligibility requirements.
“We are taking a direct, on-the-ground approach because the consequences for New Yorkers are quite significant,” Mamdani said in an interview with our sister publication, the Bronx Times.
The city says that since January it has helped more than 220,000 New Yorkers, knocking on the doors of more than 10,000 homes and making 40,000 phone calls. The administration also coordinates efforts among different municipal agencies to identify beneficiaries who could qualify for exemptions, including those related to medical problems and caregiving responsibilities.
“We reduced the paperwork burden for New Yorkers and helped hundreds of thousands of people keep their SNAP benefits, preserving more than $800 million in food assistance. Still, 26,500 New Yorkers lost their benefits, most of them young men without children,” said Department of Social Services Commissioner Erin Dalton.
«From October 1, these people can apply again and we are applying the same strategic and specific approach to reduce that number as much as possible, until we get close to zero. Through an information campaign and direct outreach efforts, we will reach these New Yorkers and connect them with city resources that can help them,” Dalton added.
The city administration has partnered with more than 100 community organizations to connect residents with employment opportunities and training programs that could help them meet the new requirements. The city will also launch information campaigns through flyers, advertisements, social media and other municipal communication channels, in addition to organizing information and training sessions for partner organizations.
“Nutritious foods should be affordable and accessible to all New Yorkers,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Dr. Helen Arteaga.
“At a time when too many New Yorkers are already struggling to make ends meet, the federal government has created new barriers to accessing food assistance. “New York City has stepped up its efforts to help and will continue to do everything it can to connect residents with the benefits they need,” he added.
People who need help re-enrolling in SNAP can call 718-SNAP-NOW or visit nyc.gov/accesshra.
