Federal Food and Housing Assistance - California, San Joaquin County and Lodi
Overview
The "One Big Beautiful Bill" (OBBBA) primarily targeted the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), enacting significant changes to its rules. This report will provide an overview of the federal government's cuts to food assistance programs, including SNAP, CalFresh, and housing assistance. It will also provide information on the impact of the bill on food insecurity across the United States and specifically in California, San Joaquin County, and Lodi, California. It will also identify who is actually eligible for Federal and California food security and housing programs.
CalFresh is the name for California's version of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps. It provides monthly electronic benefits to low-income individuals and families to help them buy food. Both SNAP and CalFresh are the same program, with SNAP being the federal designation and CalFresh being the name used in California.
National Participation Rates
SNAP (Food Assistance)
As of fiscal year 2024, approximately 41.7 million Americans receive SNAP benefits monthly, representing 12.3% of the U.S. population. This equates to roughly 22 million households. The average monthly benefit is $187 per person.
Housing Assistance
Federal housing assistance programs serve approximately 4.4-5.1 million households, or about 9.05 million Americans (2.7% of the population). This includes:
- Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8): 2.3-2.4 million households
- Project-Based Section 8: 1.2 million households
- Public Housing: 790,000 households
Combined Participation
When considering both SNAP and housing assistance together, approximately one in three Americans (nearly 100 million people) was enrolled in at least one government assistance program as of 2022. However, only about 25% of eligible households actually receive housing assistance due to severe funding constraints.
State-by-State Variation
SNAP participation rates vary significantly by state:
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Highest | New Mexico (21.2% of population) |
| Lowest | Utah (4.8% of population) |
| National median | 8-16% in 36 states |
Top States by SNAP Participation Rate
California Specifics
5.38 million people (13.6% of the state's population) receive SNAP benefits, ranking 14th highest among states. California accounts for approximately 12% of all national SNAP participation.
Federal Funding Cuts and Food Insecurity Projections
The "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" signed in July 2025 has implemented $186-187 billion in cuts to SNAP through 2034. These cuts are projected to have devastating impacts:
Immediate Effects
| Impact | Number Affected |
|---|---|
| Families affected | 22.3 million families |
| People cut from program entirely | 2.4 million people |
| People with reduced benefits | 4-5 million people |
| Families losing $25+/month | 5.3 million families |
Food Insecurity Projections
Research indicates SNAP reduces food insecurity by 30%. With these cuts, experts project:
- Millions more Americans will experience food insecurity
- The cuts will "exacerbate the growing gap" between benefit levels and actual food costs
- Among current participants, 37% (14 million people) already experience food insecurity despite receiving SNAP
- An estimated 52.8 million Americans already experienced food insecurity in 2022, with only 38.3 million receiving SNAP
Government Shutdown Impact
As of late October 2025, the ongoing government shutdown threatens to suspend SNAP benefits for over 40 million Americans starting November 1, 2025, as 25 states have announced they will not be able to issue benefits.
Immigrant Eligibility and Participation
Undocumented Immigrants
Undocumented immigrants are NOT eligible for SNAP benefits. Federal law explicitly excludes them from participation.
Eligible Immigrant Categories
Certain lawfully present immigrants may qualify:
- Naturalized U.S. citizens
- Refugees and asylees
- Lawful permanent residents (green card holders) who have:
- Lived in the U.S. for 5+ years, OR
- Have 40 quarters of work history (10 years), OR
- Are children under 18, OR
- Receive disability benefits, OR
- Have military connections
State Exceptions
A few states (California, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Washington) provide state-funded food assistance to some immigrants ineligible for federal SNAP.
California's Food4All: California provides state-funded food assistance to undocumented adults age 55 and older through the California Food Assistance Program (CFAP).
Immigrant Participation Estimates
Mixed-Status Households
While undocumented adults cannot receive SNAP, their U.S. citizen children can. Research shows:
| Metric | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Households headed by undocumented immigrants using welfare | 59% |
| Lower-income immigrant households in SNAP (2019) | 26% |
| Immigrant-headed households using food programs | 36% |
| U.S.-born households using food programs | 25% |
Avoidance Due to Fear
Approximately 24% of mixed-status families avoid safety net programs due to immigration concerns, even when eligible members (such as citizen children) could receive benefits. Nearly 16% of adults in immigrant families with children avoided programs like SNAP due to fears about citizenship status.
Recent Policy Changes
On July 4, 2025, President Trump signed a law removing SNAP eligibility for certain previously eligible immigrants, including some humanitarian parolees and other legal immigrants.
California Data
Statewide Statistics
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Californians receiving SNAP/CalFresh | 5.38 million (13.6% of population) |
| Participating households | 2.5 million |
| Average monthly benefit | $158 per person |
| Households at/below poverty line | 73% |
| Eligible Californians participating | 70% |
| Food insecure households (2020-2022) | 10.3% |
Housing Assistance
Over 300,000 California households receive Section 8 vouchers.
San Joaquin County Data
CalFresh/SNAP
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| People receiving benefits | 114,100 (1 in 6 residents) |
| Participating households | 64,523 |
| Monthly benefits distributed | $22.3 million |
| Average monthly recipients | 114,471 |
| Participation rate among eligible | 93% |
| County share of Valley recipients | 17% |
Food Insecurity
- 21.8% of San Joaquin County's population (approximately 183,690 people) experienced food insecurity in 2024
- 130,891 residents currently receive CalFresh benefits and could be affected by the government shutdown
Housing Assistance
- 19,680 low-income renter households lack access to affordable housing
- 81% of extremely low-income households pay more than half their income on housing costs
- 4,732 people experiencing homelessness in 2024 (a 104% increase from 2022)
Lodi, California Data
Demographics
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 67,008 (2023) |
| Below poverty line | 13.5% (8,960 people) |
| Median household income | $84,402 |
Food Assistance Access
Limited specific data is available for Lodi, but the city participates in San Joaquin County's Food For You Program, with distribution available at the Salvation Army on W. Lockeford Street. Given that Lodi represents approximately 9% of San Joaquin County's population and the county's overall SNAP participation rate, an estimated 10,000-12,000 Lodi residents likely receive CalFresh benefits.
Critical Context
The confluence of federal cuts, government shutdown threats, and rising food costs creates an unprecedented crisis. States are warning of benefit suspensions, food banks report declining donations even as demand surges, and the Trump administration has canceled the USDA's annual Household Food Security Report, making it harder to track the full impact. With both SNAP and housing assistance chronically underfunded—serving only a fraction of eligible households—these cuts threaten to push millions of Americans, including working families, children, seniors, and veterans, into deeper food insecurity and housing instability.