A proposed federal SNAP rule could affect as many as 130,000 Georgia families, with potential changes extending to other forms of assistance. The Trump administration’s proposal, introduced Tuesday, could prevent states such as Georgia from providing some SNAP recipients with TANF and free or reduced-price school meals. The estimate refers to families that could feel the effects; it does not mean all of them would lose SNAP.
The Georgia Department of Human Services, which administers SNAP in the state, said it is monitoring possible effects on its programs but does not comment on proposed rule changes. More than 621,000 Georgia families, totaling 1.2 million people, were enrolled in SNAP. The average benefit was $378.
Goodr Community Market on Edgewood Avenue is among the places where shoppers use SNAP. Henry Lee Thrasher, 87, who grew up in the neighborhood, said people could suffer if SNAP were no longer available.
Jon West, interim CEO of the Atlanta Community Food Bank, said the proposal could affect people already struggling as well as organizations that help feed people across Georgia. West described SNAP eligibility as 130% of the federal poverty line, or about $35,000 a year for a household of three.
Jasmine Crowe-Houston, Goodr’s CEO, said reduced SNAP benefits could leave customers with less to spend at the Edgewood market she runs, affecting the business as well as recipients. The federal measure remains a proposal, and its potential effects depend on whether it is implemented.
Marcus Jones
News Now Georgia
