Why Create an Enrollment Task Force?

In San Diego County, an estimated 1 in 3 people are experiencing or at risk of food insecurity. These neighbors, friends, relatives, and coworkers don’t always have enough food to make it through the month. Food insecurity in our region is caused by a meal gap, or the gap between the number of meals self-purchased or provided through food assistance and the number of total meals needed each month by households facing hunger.

In San Diego County, the estimated meal gap is 12 million meals per month.

There are many food assistance programs available to San Diegans, all of them vital to creating a healthy, nourished community. The best, safest, and most dignified of these programs is CalFresh (SNAP). It has the highest impact, accounts for 55% of all food assistance in San Diego County, and has the potential to reach more households in need.

The current enrollment levels for CalFresh in San Diego County provide ample opportunity to increase the program’s impact in our region. San Diego Hunger Coalition estimates that only 50-60% of those eligible are currently receiving CalFresh benefits. The reasons and barriers preventing higher enrollment are myriad and include:

·         Confusing and complicated enrollment and recertification requirements.

·         Language barriers.

·         County workers do not have enough time per case.

·         Lack of clear guidance about public charge and fear of negative impact on immigration status.

·         Lack of awareness of these programs and who is eligible.

·         Lack of technology, internet access, and cell phone coverage.

·         Stigma associated with seeking public assistance.

For this reason, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to form an Enrollment Task Force as a subcommittee of the San Diego County Social Services Advisory Board (SSAB). The SSAB Enrollment Task Force will review the enrollment policies and procedures for county-administered public assistance, including CalFresh, and provide recommendations for addressing barriers such as those listed above.

Learn more about the SSAB Enrollment Task Force . . .

Thank you to the San Diego County Board of Supervisors for your leadership, San Diego Hunger Coalition is ready to support this work on your behalf. 

Thank you to our partners for advocating with us! Together, we can create a Hunger Free San Diego.