Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas speaks at the State Capitol to call for measures to address food insecurity. Photo: Office of Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas
March 3, 2025 By Shane O’Brien
Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas joined fellow lawmakers and anti-hunger groups in Albany on Tuesday to call for a state budget that addresses New York’s hunger crisis by increasing minimum SNAP benefits and funding healthy school meals for all students, among other initiatives.
González-Rojas joined Assembly Members Michaelle Solages, Catalina Cruz, and Donna Lupardo and State Sens. Michelle Hinchey, Rachel May, and Roxanne Persaud at the State Capitol on Feb. 25, along with representatives of food hunger groups such as Hunger Solutions New York and Feeding New York State.
The coalition urged the state legislature to restore full funding for SNAP outreach and application assistance through the statewide Nutrition Outreach and Education Program (NOEP) in addition to calls to increase the minimum SNAP benefit to $100 per month, up from the current federal minimum benefit of $23 per month.
They also called on the state legislature to fully fund Nourish New York and the Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program (HPNAP) and increase funding for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) agencies.
Finally, the coalition of lawmakers and advocacy groups is calling on the state legislature to fully fund Healthy School Meals for All New York Kids so that all students statewide have access to school breakfast and lunch at no cost.
Advocates stated Tuesday that SNAP has been proven to reduce poverty and food insecurity, improve health outcomes, and stimulate local economies, describing current benefits as critical but modest.
The group is calling for $70 million in the state budget to increase SNAP minimums to $100 per month and help low-income New Yorkers cope with a significant cost-of-living increase since 2020.
They further argued that NOEP helps eligible low-income New Yorkers connect with SNAP, helping 84 local SNAP navigators across the state conduct outreach, provide free and confidential pre-screenings, and help potentially eligible families apply for the program.
NOEP added 24 new SNAP navigators in high-need and rural areas over the past two years thanks to a $2 million investment from the state legislature, but advocates warned that the FY2026 Executive Budget does not include a similar $2 million investment, which would force NOEP to scale back services at a time when families are struggling with food costs.
González-Rojas, who represents District 24 in Queens—including Astoria, Corona, East Elmhurst, Jackson Heights and Woodside—is the prime sponsor of the Universal School Meals Act, a bill that would provide free breakfast and lunch to all New York students. She emphasized that one in ten New Yorkers currently faces food insecurity and stressed that the state legislature cannot effectively address affordability without investing in anti-hunger programs.
“Over one hundred and forty thousand New York SNAP participants in our state receive less than $100 a month,” González-Rojas said. “I visited a grocery store here in Albany to attempt to buy groceries for the month with $23—I couldn’t. In a state as rich as ours, no family should go to bed hungry.”
González-Rojas also called on the state legislature to address SNAP skimming by switching to secure, chip-enabled cards that would prevent thieves from stealing card details.
Cruz, meanwhile, said New York must step up to ensure that everyone in the state has consistent access to healthy food in their communities.
“Together, these investments would support greater food sovereignty while also ensuring a necessary backstop for New Yorkers struggling to afford food,” Cruz said in a statement.
Andrés Vives, CEO of Hunger Solutions New York, said the budget was an opportunity to fund critical investments that will tackle food insecurity across the state.
“These investments will improve the lives of New Yorkers of all ages, from all parts of the state, and every walk of life. New Yorkers who rely on SNAP, WIC, school meals, and other vital anti-hunger programs need state lawmakers to have their backs in a time of federal uncertainty,” Vives said.
Dan Egan, Executive Director of Feeding New York State, said there was an “urgent need” for the state to take “bold action” to combat food insecurity.
“Our food banks and community partners stand united in urging New York State to raise the SNAP minimum benefit, guarantee Healthy School Meals for All, and fully support vital nutrition programs,” Egan said in a statement.
“At a time when nearly 3 million New Yorkers are struggling to afford food and millions more are living paycheck to paycheck, we have a responsibility to lead the way and affirm food as a basic human right.”
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