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Coalition Calls On State To Expand CalFresh Benefits
Boxes of food are distributed by the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank on August 6, 2020 in Paramount, California.
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Mario Tama/Getty Images
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Topline:
The Food4All coalition on Tuesday kicked off its 2024 campaign calling on the state to expand CalFresh benefits to more people.
Why it matters: A recent USC study shows that three out of 10 Los Angeles households struggle with food insecurity.
The backstory: The California Legislature expanded CalFresh benefits to undocumented people over the age of 55 last year. They'll start receiving those benefits in 2025. But under Gov. Gavin Newsom's proposed 2024-25 budget, undocumented Californians under 54 remain excluded.
The details: Data from Nourish California, the California Immigrant Policy Center and UCLA show the levels of food insecurity many undocumented people face:
- 64% of undocumented children are impacted by food insecurity
- Nearly a half million undocumented adults live in households that experience food insecurity.
What advocates said: Maria Elena Durazo, a Democrat from Los Angeles, said 20% of Californians under 18 live with an undocumented loved one or are undocumented themselves.
"When you can't put food on the table because of your immigration status, there's something wrong with the system," she said.
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What's next: Two bills that could expand CalFresh benefits to all undocumented immigrants, AB 311 and SB 245 are expected to be revisited in the legislature this year.
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