WHEREAS, The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the nation’s most significant anti-hunger program, providing essential support to low-income individuals and families to purchase food and maintain access to adequate nutrition; and
WHEREAS, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) complements SNAP by providing nutrition education, resources, and outreach to promote healthy eating and active living among SNAP eligible populations; and
WHEREAS, Throughout 2025, there has been a growing and unprecedented threat to SNAP and SNAP-Ed programs. In July 2025, Congress passed a Budget Reconciliation bill that included major changes to these programs, including stricter work requirements, reduced eligibility, funding cuts, and the elimination of funding for SNAP-Ed. In addition, the federal government shutdown that began on October 1 has put benefits at further risk, with nearly 2 million Pennsylvanians-including approximately 500,000 Philadelphia residents projected to lose access to SNAP benefits in November if the shutdown continues; and
WHEREAS, Local organizations and service providers report significant increases in demand for emergency food assistance over the past few years, as well as strain on food banks, pantries, and community partners who are attempting to fill the gap; and
WHEREAS, The disruption to the SNAP-Ed program has limited the capacity of community-based educators and organizations to conduct nutrition education and outreach, undermining efforts to promote health and prevent diet-related disease; and
WHEREAS, SNAP provides approximately $366 million each month to low income Pennsylvanians, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. In Philadelphia, roughly 500,000 residents, about one-third of the City’s population, rely on SNAP benefits. Two-thirds of SNAP recipients are children, seniors over age 60, and people with disabilities underscoring the program’s essential role in supporting the City’s most vulnerable communities; and
WHEREAS, Food and nutrition security are critical public health concerns, with direct connections to child development, chronic disease prevention, and long-term community
wellbeing; and
WHEREAS, The City of Philadelphia, through its departments, City Council, and partnerships with community organizations, plays an essential role in ensuring equitable access to food resources and information for all residents; and
WHEREAS, Coordinated action is needed across levels of government, nonprofit partners, and community stakeholders to identify solutions, strengthen benefit delivery systems, and restore confidence in programs designed to fight hunger. The ongoing threat of program cuts and the Federal government shutdown further underscores the urgency of such coordination, as continued inaction threatens to disrupt benefits for hundreds of thousands of Philadelphia residents and deepens food insecurity across the city; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Hereby authorizes the Committee on Public Health and Human Services to hold hearings to examine the impacts of the current crisis threatening the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program - Education (SNAP-Ed) on food and nutrition security in Philadelphia, including barriers to accessing benefits, disruptions to nutrition education and outreach, consequences for residents, and opportunities for coordinated City and community response.
End