State Must Include SNAP in Emergency Response Funding
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 29, 2026
Contact:
Meghan Holden, The Connecticut Project Action Fund, meghanholden@ctproject.org
NEW HAVEN – Governor Ned Lamont, Senate President Martin Looney, and Speaker of the House Matthew Ritter today announced new allocations from the state’s $500 million federal emergency response fund, more than $300 million of which remain unused. The announcement did not include funding to assist SNAP beneficiaries. Some Connecticut SNAP recipients began losing access to the program this winter due to federal changes outlined in H.R. 1. In total, 36,000 Connecticut residents are at risk of losing access to food.
Caprice Saunders, a Waterbury resident, recently lost her access to SNAP and had the following reaction to today’s announcement:
“Losing access to SNAP is making it impossible for people like me to meet our basic needs while trying to build a better future. Thousands of us are in a food emergency, and we are frustrated and confused by the fact that our state still has not used its emergency money to help. SNAP made it possible for me to stay healthy, stay in school, and move toward a career path that will allow me to give back. SNAP is not just support – it is a lifeline, especially with the rising costs of food. I’m not alone in this; so many adults who are trying to further their education depend on SNAP to make both school and everyday life possible.”
Garth Harries, president and CEO of The Connecticut Project Action Fund, had the following reaction to today’s announcement:
“Thousands of working class Connecticut residents are at risk of losing food because of SNAP chaos sown by the federal government, some are already losing food, and elected officials have known about this crisis for months. Meanwhile, the state is sitting on millions of dollars in emergency funding. The Governor, with approval from legislative leadership, has to use those dollars. Connecticut’s earlier investment in CT Foodshare is nowhere near sufficient to protect our state, because we cannot food bank our way out of this crisis.
Connecticut must commit some remaining emergency funding to create a temporary benefits fund for SNAP recipients, because people are losing food right now. The Governor and legislature have the money and power to prevent working class adults and children from going hungry today, and they must act.”
