Cambridge Council asks manager for rapid plan as SNAP benefits face possible Nov. 1 cutoff

Cambridge City Council on Oct. 27 voted to take up a late policy order and asked the city manager to present possible short-term responses in case federal SNAP benefits lapse on Nov. 1.

City Manager Yuan Wang told the council that Cambridge has about 6,700 households (roughly 10,000 people) receiving SNAP and that, nationally, the average benefit is about $187 per person. He said that represents "almost $2,000,000 per month of federal food benefits into our community." He warned that the USDA indicated contingency funds would not be used and that the state cannot make up the roughly $212 million per month displaced from SNAP, meaning Cambridge could face a November 1 cutoff.

"We are moving toward a November 1 cutoff of SNAP funding," the manager said, and recommended the city focus on scaling existing local food programs because "the time and effort to scale a new operation or program makes less sense given the uncertainty we're facing." He told councilors the city cannot replace federal resources dollar-for-dollar but can identify programs and partners that can be scaled quickly.

Council members pressed for immediate steps to notify residents and for concrete stopgap proposals. Councilor Nolan said the council would "definitely want" options next week so the city can act rapidly if necessary. Councilor Wilson urged the manager to move proactively so "families don't wake up on the first without a plan and an option." Other councilors discussed potential short-term uses of city reserves, gift-card models, and partnerships with food pantries and nonprofit networks.

The council approved the motion to suspend rules and hear the late order and then adopted the late order directing the manager to come back with options. The city manager and staff said they will work with local food providers (for example, CEOC, Cambridge Community Center, Margaret Fuller House, East End House, Food for Free) and the United Way to map immediate, scalable interventions and return to the council with a proposal at next week's meeting.

The manager and councilors emphasized limits: the city cannot backfill the full federal funding, and any stopgap would be partial and contingent on how long a shutdown lasts. Still, staff said they will prioritize options that can be implemented within days if needed, including increased support to existing pantries, targeted outreach to vulnerable populations, and expedited procurement or appropriations to provide discrete, time-limited assistance.

Next steps: the manager will present short-term options and a cost estimate to the council next week and identify a city point person to coordinate donations, volunteer offers and partner capacity.