City Council Condemns Federal Decision To End SNAP Benefits

SNAP provides essential food assistance to more than 42 million Americans, including 16 million children, 4 million people with disabilities, and 1 million veterans, helping families put food on the table, supporting local farmers, and stabilizing the economy during crises.

In Massachusetts, over 1.1 million residents rely on SNAP benefits, including 32 percent who are children, 26 percent who are seniors, and 31 percent who are people with disabilities. The state’s 15.6% participation rate in FY2024 was higher than the 12.3% national average.

The resolution highlights that every $1 in new SNAP benefits can increase gross domestic product by $1.54. It condemns President Trump’s decision to end SNAP benefits effective November 1, 2025, marking the first time in American history that the program would cease due to a refusal to continue funding. The Council’s resolution states that this decision will leave millions of families, children, seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities without the means to afford basic nutrition.

The Council also notes that the Trump Administration is implementing new eligibility restrictions under the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA), which will reduce or eliminate benefits for more than 150,000 Massachusetts residents, including working parents, older adults ages 60–65, homeless individuals, and veterans.

The resolution describes these actions as “policy violence” that inflicts hunger and harm on vulnerable populations, emphasizing that food is a basic human right and moral necessity. It asserts that the United States Department of Agriculture holds more than $8 billion in contingency funds that could be used immediately to sustain SNAP benefits and prevent widespread hunger.

Ending SNAP will dramatically increase pressure on local food banks, community organizations, and charitable partners — potentially quadrupling demand on already overburdened systems and deepening food insecurity across Massachusetts.

Governor Maura Healey, Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll, the Massachusetts Legislature, and local organizations such as the United Way and Project Bread have called on President Trump to reverse the decision and restore full SNAP funding.

The Council strongly condemns the Trump Administration’s actions and calls on the President and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to deploy at least $5.8 billion in contingency funds to maintain uninterrupted SNAP benefits and prevent a national hunger crisis.