Federal government shutdown threatens CalFresh benefits, students’ food security – Daily Bruin

Report on the Potential Suspension of CalFresh Benefits and its Impact on Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

A potential suspension of California’s CalFresh benefits, resulting from a federal government shutdown, poses a direct threat to the state’s progress on key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The interruption of this federally funded food assistance program, which supports 5.5 million low-income residents, directly undermines SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 1 (No Poverty) by risking the food security and financial stability of vulnerable populations, including university students.

Impact on Sustainable Development Goal 2: Zero Hunger

Threat to Food Security for Vulnerable Populations

• The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), known as CalFresh in California, is a critical mechanism for achieving food security for approximately 5.5 million residents.
• A prolonged federal government shutdown, initiated October 1, threatens the November funding distribution from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), which manages the program.
• Governor Gavin Newsom announced that a continued shutdown would leave the USDA without sufficient funds to distribute benefits, creating a significant gap in the state’s food safety net.

University Student Food Insecurity

• The suspension disproportionately affects the student population, a group already facing challenges with food security.
• In the 2023-24 fiscal year, over 17,000 University of California (UC) students submitted applications for CalFresh benefits.
• Student testimony highlights a direct link between the benefits and the ability to avoid food insecurity, with recipients facing the prospect of reallocating limited funds from on-campus jobs and other sources exclusively to groceries.

Broader Implications for Sustainable Development Goals

Setbacks for SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities)

• The removal of food assistance places an immediate financial burden on low-income households, directly conflicting with the objectives of SDG 1 (No Poverty).
• For students from low-income backgrounds, this loss of support can mean choosing between food and other educational necessities, thereby exacerbating inequalities as outlined in SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).

Challenges to SDG 3 (Good Health) and SDG 4 (Quality Education)

• Food insecurity is intrinsically linked to adverse health outcomes, creating a barrier to achieving SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being).
• The stress and nutritional deficit resulting from a lack of food access directly impede a student’s ability to learn and succeed academically, undermining the core mission of SDG 4 (Quality Education).

Mitigation Efforts and Institutional Response

Localized Support Systems

• In response to the potential crisis, local institutions are mobilizing to fill the gap. The Community Program Office (CPO) at UCLA is preparing to enhance its support services to mitigate the impact on students.

1. Increasing food availability at the on-campus CPO-run food closet.
2. Continuing a hot meal program into the fall quarter, which is usually reserved for winter and spring.
3. Expanding other basic needs programs to address the anticipated reallocation of student funds from transportation and other needs toward food.

Institutional Gaps and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions)

• The federal government shutdown highlights a failure in institutional stability, a key component of SDG 16.
• The inability of national institutions to maintain funding for essential social safety nets demonstrates a weakness that directly harms citizens and undermines progress toward broader development goals.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 1: No Poverty
   • The article discusses CalFresh, a program for “low-income Californians.” The potential suspension of these benefits directly impacts the financial stability and well-being of the poor and vulnerable, which is the central focus of SDG 1.
2. SDG 2: Zero Hunger
   • CalFresh is the state’s version of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which provides “food assistance.” The article explicitly mentions that the suspension could lead to students becoming “food insecure,” directly connecting the program to the goal of ending hunger and ensuring access to food.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 1.3: Implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all… and achieve substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerable.
   • The article focuses on CalFresh/SNAP, which is a key social protection system in the United States designed to support low-income individuals. The potential shutdown represents a failure to implement and sustain this system, threatening its coverage of vulnerable populations like the 5.5 million Californians and thousands of students who rely on it.
2. Target 2.1: By 2030, end hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor and people in vulnerable situations… to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round.
   • The article directly addresses this target by highlighting how the suspension of CalFresh benefits would jeopardize food access for vulnerable groups, including low-income students. The student testimony, “If it wasn’t for that job and I had no Cal Fresh, I really would be food insecure,” underscores the program’s role in ensuring access to sufficient food.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. Indicator for Target 1.3 (Proportion of population covered by social protection systems):
   • The article provides specific numbers that serve as indicators of the program’s coverage:
     • “about 5.5 million low-income Californians” are covered by CalFresh.
     • “Over 17,000 UC students submitted CalFresh applications in the 2023-24 fiscal year,” indicating the number of students seeking coverage.
     • The statistic that “only about one-fifth of the 400,000 to 750,000 college students eligible for SNAP benefits utilize the resource” indicates the current level of coverage versus the potential need within a specific vulnerable group.
2. Indicator for Target 2.1 (Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity):
   • While the article does not provide a quantitative measure of food insecurity, it implies that its prevalence would increase. The statements from students and university staff directly reference the risk of food insecurity as a consequence of the shutdown. The CPO office’s plan to increase food availability at its food closet and expand hot meal programs implies an expected rise in the number of students experiencing food insecurity.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: dailybruin.com