“We can’t afford to lose any of the SNAP retailers we currently have. On average, there are eight stores that accept SNAP for every 1,000 recipients. Of course, this ratio worsens the more remote the location,” says Amber O’Connor, Food Policy Analyst at Every Texan. “At the end of the day, these changes will either cost retailers money or families access.”
Texas is home to 3.5 million SNAP participants served by 25,253 SNAP retailers over 270,000 square miles. Due to the sheer size of the state, and the fact that 85% of Texas is considered rural or remote, people must travel substantial distances to their closest SNAP retailer. Texas’ remote and underserved areas are primarily served by family-owned grocery stores, farm stands, and convenience stores. The stakes are higher in these counties, and families on SNAP who live in rural areas don’t have other options. If their SNAP store is forced to cut losses by terminating participation in SNAP, they’ll have to pay more in gas to travel further.
Higher costs for grocers mean increased costs for Texas families, too. Restricting unhealthy purchases does not lower the costs of healthy ones. These policy changes work together to inconvenience retailers while penalizing poverty. Every Texan believes all Texans should have access to fresh, healthy, affordable foods for their family to enjoy. The first step toward food security is increasing access to affordable groceries, not restricting what families can purchase. Not only do SNAP restrictions go against the program’s intent to remove stigma and increase dignity among populations receiving public benefits, but they risk access to food entirely.