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Jacksonville council to draft emergency $2 million plan as SNAP benefits stall
Summary
Councilman Johnson called an emergency meeting on SNAP benefits and food insecurity and proposed drafting emergency legislation to allocate about $2,000,000 to Feeding Northeast Florida to support local food distribution.
Councilman Johnson called an emergency meeting on SNAP benefits and food insecurity and proposed drafting emergency legislation to allocate about $2,000,000 to support local food distribution, saying the city must act if federal benefit processing is delayed.
Dr. Parvez Ahmed, presenting data from the State of JACS, told the council the presentation used 2023 census baselines and therefore likely understates current need. "About 57,000 households in Jacksonville, representing roughly 160,000 people, are on SNAP benefits," Ahmed said. He added that "80% of those recipients are children and seniors." Ahmed also showed that usage is uneven across council districts: District 10 accounts for roughly 8,100 SNAP households and about 14.5% of the city's SNAP recipients, while District 3 accounts for about 1,400 households and roughly 2.5% of citywide recipients.
The council debated how to get aid to residents quickly and equitably. Dr. Tracy Paulson said the mayor's…
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