Santa Barbara County Ranks 50th in the Utilization of CalFresh
Full Participation Would Bring an Estimated $47,400,000 in Federal Nutrition Benefits to Santa Barbara County Families
CalFresh (formerly the Food Stamp Program) is a critical defense against poor nutrition. Unfortunately, the program is severely underutilized: half of all eligible Californians miss out on the benefits of CalFresh. This dismal participation rate means California loses out on an estimated $4.9 billion in federal nutrition benefits each year, which would go directly to low-income California families and help bolster the state’s economy.
The new report by California Food Policy Advocates articulates a county-level Program Access Index (PAI), estimating CalFresh utilization among low-income individuals.
Santa Barbara County ranks 50th out of 58 counties for CalFresh utilization. The number one ranked county has the highest CalFresh utilization relative to the total number of income-eligible individuals. If all income-eligible individuals in Santa Barbara County participated in CalFresh, county residents would receive an estimated $47,400,000 in additional federal nutrition benefits each year.
