LORAIN, Ohio — Communities and organizations are bracing for new SNAP rules coming next week. Some expect the changes could strain the systems that support them.
Starting Oct. 1, the federal government will cut its share of administrative costs it covers for the SNAP program in half. Currently, states share a 50-50 responsibility for the costs, but will soon be responsible for 75%.
Lorain County estimates it will lose nearly $1 million in funding under the changes outlined in a 2025 federal spending bill, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Lorain County Job and Family Services director Chris Cabot outlined the financial impact at a county commission meeting this week.
"For Lorain County, it amounts to $962,000," he said.
Roughly 33,000, or about 10.5%, of Lorain County residents currently receive SNAP benefits.
Cabot said the loss in funding could force the agency to cut staff, which would mean fewer people to process the nearly 1,500 cases the agency handles monthly.
“The impact of these reductions and reduced staffing levels will be delays in case processing and approval. This will also place additional strain on food pantries and community organizations,” Cabot said in an email to News 5.
The funding cuts come as demand for food assistance is already rising. Second Harvest Food Bank reported a 9% spike in demand from July to August. President and CEO Julie Chase-Morefield expects that number to keep climbing.
"That's the fear we have is that people that are eligible and should be receiving SNAP are just going to give up," Chase-Morefield said.
The food bank is also contending with rising operational costs. Chase-Morefield said fuel expenses alone have grown dramatically.
"We spent about $50,000 on diesel [last year]. With the increasing costs right now… we're predicting it could be up to $115,000," she said.
When asked whether the organization could sustain the increased pressure, Chase-Morefield was direct.
"It's not sustainable," she said. "It's really difficult to say we're going to be able to meet an increased demand when people are not on SNAP… when we're struggling to meet the demand right now because we just continued to see cuts in the support for what we do as a food bank."
The already growing demand was evident during a drive-thru mobile pantry at Oakwood Park in Lorain on Thursday.
Some picking up food boxes said they are already feeling the squeeze.
"I've got to feed my mom and me. Everything's tight," said Lorain County resident Russell Bryner.
He said his $90 in monthly SNAP benefits barely covers his needs.
"Sometimes I spend it one trip, sometimes I try to make it 2-3 trips," Bryner said.
Sarah Puskas, a mother of 4, said she no longer qualifies for SNAP and has been overwhelmed by rising grocery costs.
"With rising grocery prices, it's kind of astronomical to feed a family anymore," Puskas said.
More changes are coming for SNAP in 2027, when Cabot explained that a portion of the actual SNAP benefits costs will be shifted to the state based on the state's total error rate.
“When thinking about this more globally, HB1 essentially reduces the workforce managing SNAP cases yet requires a significant improvement in accuracy. Additionally, the dollar amount that constitutes an error was reduced and includes both client and county JFS worker errors,” he said.
Despite the challenges ahead, Second Harvest Food Bank said it will continue supporting the community. Puskas said that support matters more than ever.
"Any little bit makes a huge difference and helps, but it's tough out there," Puskas said.
Catherine Ross is the Lorain County reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow her on X @CatherineRossTV, on Facebook CatherineRossTV or email her at Catherine.Ross@wews.com.
