Nearly 100,000 people in the San Diego region could face cuts to their federal food benefits next year, according to county officials.
On Tuesday, County Board of Supervisors Chair Terra Lawson-Remer announced a campaign to help the people affected know that’s changing and how they can stay covered. She said people shouldn't have to lose their groceries if they missed filling out a form or missed a call.
"That's the crisis we're trying to prevent,” she said.
Under the new rules in the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," or House Resolution 1, more people will have to provide proof that they are working at least 80 hours a month to qualify for benefits. Those include veterans, people experiencing homelessness, the elderly, former foster youths and parents of teens. Previously, this group was exempt from the work requirement.
"In San Diego County, we anticipate that 96,000 people will be directly impacted by the Trump budget cuts. That more than 240,000 households will face new and difficult hurdles," Lawson-Remer said.
This is the population that the county has worked hard to lift up and who are now "getting pulled down by a system that's getting harder and harsher," she said.
According to county officials, San Diego is expected to lose more than $300 million due to federal cuts, with $200 million coming from CalFresh, the state's implementation of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) — what used to be known as food stamps.
"So in the weeks ahead, we're launching a countywide campaign through texts and calls and fliers and outreach to help people understand what's changing and what they can do to stay covered,” Lawson-Remer said.
According to the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank, about 860,000 people, or roughly 26% of the county's population, are food insecure, meaning they lack reliable access to enough food.
“This is the highest rate of nutrition insecurity in San Diego County since 2020,” Food Bank CEO Casey Castillo said.
In the coming months, the county is working on a concrete plan for other ways to help people navigate the new requirements. In August, the board established the "Subcommittee on Social Safety Net and Behavioral Health Systems Transformation" to formulate that plan. In the meantime, Lawson-Remer is urging San Diegans to help their neighbors in need, including donating to the local food bank.
