CAFB Applauds California Legislature for Investment in Nutrition Safety Net, Food Banks in Joint Budget Agreement

With hundreds of thousands of Californians at risk of losing their SNAP eligibility in the coming months, the California Association of Food Banks applauds the state Legislature for its leadership to strengthen the state’s food safety in the 2027 budget. In a state with such abundance, one in four adults experienced food insecurity in the past year. The inclusion of $108 million for CalFood for fiscal year 2026-27 will provide fresh, healthy California-grown foods to millions of Californians who need help putting food on the table.

Other key nutrition priorities included in the Budget Bill AB 109 are:

• $14M to sustain the CalFresh Outreach program
• $5M to begin the expansion of the California Food Assistance Program to provide state-funded benefits to Californians cut off from CalFresh due to HR1’s harsh eligibility restrictions
• $15M to sustain the vital Local Food Purchase Assistance Program (LFPA).
• $16.5M to support Diaper Banks

“Recent data show that nearly 16 million Californians have difficulty affording basic needs where they live and may turn to a food bank for assistance. We are incredibly grateful to the Legislature for making these bold investments at such a critical time. We urge Governor Newsom to include the full funding for anti-hunger priorities in the final state budget. No one should go hungry in California,” said Stacia Levenfeld Hill, Chief Executive Officer of the California Association of Food Banks.

Food Insecurity is a Serious and Growing Problem in California

Strengthening food assistance programs like CalFood and CalFresh is more important than ever. New data from Urban Institute show that in 2025, 24% of all adults in California experienced food insecurity, and among adults living with children, 33% experienced food insecurity. This data is not surprising given the high cost of living in California; Experiences of food insecurity were reported at higher, “moderate” income levels:

• 17% of adults at or above 200% the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), which is $60,000 per year for a family of four
• 13% of adults at or above 300% FPL: $99,000 per year for a family of four
• 9% of adults at or above 400% FPL: $132,000 per year for a family of four

With inflationary pressures affecting food, fuel, and rent, groceries are the most common affordability concern among U.S. adults. According to Urban Institute, in 2025 food insecure households had a higher likelihood of:

• Using cash from a payday loan to pay for groceries
• Using savings that were not intended for routine expenses to pay for groceries
• Not paying the minimum required payment on a credit card

Food banks remain a lifeline in helping families to put food on the table, providing an essential service to more than 6 million people per month, while helping to meet people in critical times of need, be it a government shutdown, natural disaster, or cuts to CalFresh due to H.R. 1. As federal support for food assistance continues to drop while food and fuel prices rise, California’s leaders must step up to support the emergency food network and invest in bold solutions to help Californians meet their most basic needs.