“SNAP Cuts in Texas: How Food Assistance Reductions Impact Lives” | Houston Public Media

Texas is struggling with hunger. It has the highest food insecurity rate in the U.S. According to Feeding America, one in six Texans faces hunger, and a significant portion of them are children. This issue is alarmingly affecting our youth, with one-third of those hungry being kids.

Programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are crucial for many families. They help provide vital food support. As Stephanie Miller, a mother from The Woodlands, shared, SNAP was essential for her growing up. “Without it, we often wouldn’t have food,” she said.

Changes to SNAP in recent legislation are causing concern. Signed into law as part of a major tax package in July 2025, these changes could cut SNAP’s budget by nearly $187 billion. The implications? Stricter eligibility requirements could leave many families without support. In Texas, over 12% of the population relies on SNAP, and a notable percentage of those live in Houston.

Katherine Byers from the Houston Food Bank expressed worry. She noted that 92,000 school-aged children could entirely lose their benefits under the new rules. This could make it even harder for families to put food on the table. “Most SNAP recipients are working,” Byers explained. The narrative suggesting that those on assistance are lazy is misleading. Many are in need despite having jobs.

Texas alone would need to cover about $806 million annually to deal with these funding cuts. Such a move might lead to further reductions in food assistance, threatening access to nutritious food. A single working Texan needs to earn less than $2,071 monthly to qualify for SNAP, which typically provides around $9 a day for food.

In response to these issues, Rep. Lizzie Fletcher voiced concerns about the state’s commitment to making up for federal cuts. Previously, Texas Governor Greg Abbott vetoed a bipartisan summer food assistance program critical for low-income families. This program could have provided much-needed resources at a time when many kids rely on school meals.

Organizations like No Kid Hungry Texas are urging the governor to reconsider this veto. Stacie Sanchez Hare, their director, pointed out that similar programs in 37 other states already exist and work effectively. “The Summer EBT program is essential now—especially with SNAP cuts looming,” she said.

There’s a medical perspective too. A doctor from the Texas Pediatric Society shared that they often see children in the emergency room suffering from stomach pains caused by food insecurity. “Food insecurity affects health, education, and employment,” Sanchez Hare remarked, emphasizing that tackling this issue benefits everyone.

As funding for food assistance programs diminishes, there’s an urgent call to action from nonprofits and concerned citizens. They hope federal lawmakers will rethink the recently proposed cuts. Hunger affects not just individual families—its ripple effects impact communities as well. Children who hunger struggle to learn, parents face challenges in providing care, and overall societal health declines.

In the words of Stephanie Miller, “Hungry kids don’t learn well. Hungry parents can’t parent well.” If we want a thriving Texas, we must ensure that everyone has access to the food they need.

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Food, Houston, inDepth, Local, News, Politics, Texas, Big Beautiful Bill, food insecurity, houston food bank, Lizzie Fletcher, SNAP benefits, Summer EBT