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Klamath Falls resident urges county to plan for potential SNAP funding loss in 2026
Summary
At the Aug. 19 board meeting a local resident urged commissioners to plan for the loss of federal SNAP support in 2026, noting SNAP's benefits to low-income households and small farmers and urging county attention to food-access and homelessness issues.
Wren, a Klamath Falls resident, told the Klamath County Board of Commissioners on Aug. 19 that she is concerned about hunger, homelessness and rural poverty and urged the board to consider options for the community after potential changes to federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) support in 2026.
Wren told commissioners that local programs such as Double Up Bucks and the Klamath Falls farmers market help both residents and small farmers, and that SNAP benefits support more than just low-income households by helping local producers compete with larger agricultural operations. She also praised ongoing road work on Main Street.
Why it matters: SNAP changes could affect food access for low-income households and the viability of small local farms that rely on programs that boost local food purchasing. Wren framed her remarks as a request that county officials be prepared to address hunger and partner with community groups if federal support changes.
What the resident said
Wren said she has lived in Klamath Falls for about five years and invited commissioners to attend future events focused on homelessness and rural poverty. She noted that the county already participates in Double Up Bucks, a program that increases the purchasing power of SNAP benefits at participating farmers markets and grocery retailers, and said the program "really helps our local farmers" by increasing demand for their products.
Wren emphasized that SNAP is not solely a program for people in extreme poverty but also supports small farmers who may not have the economies of scale of larger, company-owned operations. Wren asked the board to consider planning now for potential reductions in federal support scheduled for 2026.
Meeting record and county response
The public-comment portion of the meeting included Wren and one other speaker, Mark Medin, who briefly introduced a private wedding venue in the East Lanza Valley. The transcript records no formal county action in response to Wren's comments at this meeting; no staff report or directive to pursue a particular plan was recorded on the meeting audio.
