Alameda County warns H.R.1 will shrink CalFresh access and shift costs to counties

County officials told the Alameda County Board of Supervisors’ Public Service and Health Committee on Feb. 9 that federal H.R.1 will reduce CalFresh benefits for many households, constrain options for noncitizens and create new administrative and budget pressures for the county.

Andrea Ford, Agency Director for Social Services, opened the briefing and introduced program staff who presented the analysis and implementation plans. "We are giving an update on what we've learned about implementation," Ford said at the start of the session.

The most immediate change described was to the state utility subsidy (SUS), which county staff said is a roughly $20.01 cash payment loaded onto EBT that had allowed many households to qualify for the largest standard utility allowance. Roland Chow, CalFresh program specialist, said H.R.1 now limits SUS eligibility to households that include an elderly (60+) or disabled member as of Oct. 31, 2025. "Beginning October 31, only households that have an elderly, which is 60 or older, or a disabled member will now qualify for SUS," Chow said. County staff warned the change will lower monthly CalFresh allotments for affected households and, in rare cases, could cause loss of eligibility.

Chow also described other H.R.1 provisions that will depress benefit growth and reduce supportive allowances: the Thrifty Food Plan recalculation will no longer automatically raise maximum benefit levels with changes in food costs or federal dietary guidance; internet expenses were removed from the standard utility allowance calculation beginning Oct. 1, 2025; and federal SNAP‑Ed funding to California (CalFresh Healthy Living) was cut, though the state preserved research and data so the program could be restarted in the future if funding returns.

County staff outlined how H.R.1 alters ABOD (able‑bodied adults without dependents) policy. The county said the ABOD definition will cover people aged 18–64 without a dependent under 14 and will reintroduce a three‑month CalFresh time limit within a rolling 36‑month clock that began Jan. 1, 2026. People subject to ABOD rules must meet a 20‑hour‑per‑week work standard or qualify through approved activities (paid employment, self‑employment, volunteer/community service, WIOA programs or CalFresh employment and training). Chow said the county will emphasize voluntary employment and training options and partner programs to help recipients meet requirements.

Local counts and populations: county staff reported about 171,000 CalFresh recipients in Alameda County as of January 2026 and identified roughly 40,000 people who meet the ABOD profile; of those, an estimated ~27,000 were classified in county systems as "nonexempt" and therefore at risk of losing benefits at recertification unless staff find additional exemptions or work reporting. Staff flagged about 5,000 unhoused people who may require targeted screening and support, and noted many in the 60–64 age band may in practice qualify for disability‑related exemptions once screened.

Administration, error rates and budget risk: Chow summarized a scheduled shift in administrative cost sharing that will increase the state share (state 75% / federal 25%) and leave counties responsible for a portion of the state share (counties pay 30% of the state portion under current state formulas). Alameda County’s finance office estimated the county’s increased annual administrative cost could be about $6.7 million beginning Oct. 1, 2026. Chow also warned of a separate potential matching requirement tied to the federal payment error rate (PER); he cited California’s PER for federal fiscal year 2025 at 11.01%, which places the state in a higher matching bracket under the proposed sliding scale and could create large state obligations in a worst‑case scenario.

Noncitizen eligibility and CFAP alternatives: Jaime Ann Domesco, associate program specialist, reviewed changes to federal noncitizen CalFresh eligibility effective April 1. She said H.R.1 narrows federal eligibility to a shorter list of statuses (including U.S. citizens, nationals, lawful permanent residents, COFA entrants and certain Cuban/Haitian entrants) and removes access for many refugee, asylee, parolee and other groups unless they later adjust to qualifying status. Domesco noted California’s state‑funded California Food Assistance Program (CFAP) remains but will not cover most people losing federal CalFresh eligibility. Domesco gave county estimates for the noncitizen population affected (about 5,400 individuals in one county projection) and provided country‑of‑origin and language breakdowns the county will use to target outreach.

County preparations and community supports: staff listed concrete steps the county is taking — updating eligibility procedures and staff handbooks, automating system checks, performing targeted quality‑assurance case reviews and ramping up outreach (including ties to May CalFresh awareness month). They also identified community resources and legal referral lines that residents can access (Alameda County Community Food Bank, Centro Legal and community legal clinics) and emphasized culturally‑sensitive, location‑based outreach to reach people who may be fearful to access services.

Supervisors’ concerns and next steps: board members pressed staff for more precise counts and timelines. Staff said rescreening individuals to capture alternate exemptions will be time‑consuming and likely take many months; final recertification‑based screenings will continue through May 2027 and staff expect to refine estimates over the coming year. Supervisors also raised budget concerns: county and statewide advocates are pushing for state relief and additional general‑fund support, and the county plans to update the board on budget implications during the May budget revision process.

What happens next: staff committed to regular updates, further data dives and follow‑up reports to the board as rescreening and implementation proceed. The committee received no public comments on this item and adjourned the joint meeting.