AM González-Rojas unveils 5-point plan to address food insecurity, expand SNAP
Source: QNS
Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas unveiled a 5-point plan to address food insecurity during her visit to FoodTown Supermarket on 37th Avenue in Jackson Heights, challenging herself to build a basic grocery basket using only the current minimum Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) allotment — $24 per month.
González-Rojas, who is campaigning against State Sen. Jessica Ramos in the Democratic primary, said this challenge demonstrated a stark reality facing thousands of Queens families: New York’s minimum SNAP benefit cannot buy enough food to meet basic needs.
It also highlighted the widening gap between rising food prices and outdated benefit levels that many working families, seniors and immigrants rely on to put food on the table.
“In 2026, $24 does not buy groceries for a household in Queens — it barely buys a bag of food,” González-Rojas said. “This isn’t theoretical. This is what families are facing at the checkout line. No parent should have to decide whether to pay rent, buy medicine or feed their children.”
Food insecurity remains a major challenge across Jackson Heights, Corona and East Elmhurst, González-Rojas pointed out, where many residents work in low-wage service jobs and have been hit hardest by inflation and rising housing costs.
Local food pantries and community organizations reported an increase in demand as grocery prices continue to climb, a news release from González-Rojas’ office said.
According to a recent poll commissioned by No Kid Hungry, 52% of New York City residents have taken on debt in the past year to buy enough food to feed their families.
To address the crisis, González-Rojas unveiled a 5-point plan to strengthen food security and modernize New York’s SNAP program, including legislation she is currently sponsoring to raise the minimum monthly benefit to $100.
González-Rojas’ plan includes:
1. Increasing the minimum SNAP benefit to $100 per month
She proposes raising New York’s minimum SNAP allotment so that it reflects today’s cost of food and ensures households receiving the minimum benefit can afford nutritious groceries.
2. Expanding access regardless of immigration status
She proposes ensuring immigrant families can access food assistance without fear by removing barriers and expanding eligibility to communities that are currently excluded from federal programs
3. Strengthening community food networks
She proposes increased state support for local food pantries, community kitchens and neighborhood food distribution programs that have become lifelines for Queens residents
4. Investing in healthy food access in underserved neighborhoods
She proposes supporting grocery stores, farmers markets and food cooperatives in neighborhoods that lack affordable fresh food options
5. Protecting families from SNAP theft and skimming
She proposes modernizing SNAP cards to prevent families from getting their SNAP benefits stolen and creating a state reimbursement fund for families who fall victim to SNAP skimming so that no household is left without food on their table.
González-Rojas stressed that her demonstration inside the neighborhood supermarket was meant to make visible the impossible math many families face every month.
“When you walk through a grocery store with only $24 to spend, the choices become painfully clear,” she said. “This is why I’m running for state senate — because families in Queens deserve leaders who will fight for real solutions to the cost-of-living crisis.”
González-Rojas has previously sponsored state-wide legislation to strengthen food security, including efforts to expand universal free school meals so that every child can learn without the stigma or stress of hunger.
She has also worked with community partners across her district to connect families to SNAP benefits, food pantries and emergency nutrition resources, ensuring that local residents can access the support they deserve.
As her campaign for state senate continues, González-Rojas said food security will remain a central pillar of her platform alongside housing affordability, healthcare access and economic opportunity for working families.
“Food is a basic human right,” she said. “In one of the richest states in the country, no one should go hungry.”
