State officials outline steps to boost CalFresh access for older adults, including ESAP expansion and CFAP timeline

Jennifer Troya, director of the California Department of Social Services, told the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Human Services that CalFresh is the state’s largest anti-hunger program and described recent steps to increase participation among older adults and people with disabilities.

The department said the 2019 expansion that allowed Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients to enroll in CalFresh drove a large portion of the increase in older adult participation, and officials described two federal demonstration projects and state outreach to sustain gains. The department also reiterated that the state-funded California Food Assistance Program expansion for income-eligible people age 55 and older remains on track for an October 1, 2027, start, but that automation work is paused and will resume in January 2026.

Why it matters: CalFresh provides food benefits to more than 5.5 million Californians and is the state’s primary anti-hunger program. Older adults now represent a larger share of the caseload, and advocates and county welfare directors told the committee that continued state investments and targeted outreach are needed to close remaining participation…