Across the country, food prices have increased substantially in recent years, financially straining families and local food banks and community organizations. Trying to fill this gap between family budgets and food expenses will get substantially harder when the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) is fully implemented. OBBBA will cut federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) spending by $186 billion over the next decade through various benefit changes, eligibility restrictions, and cost-shifting measures.
Recent Urban Institute research finds these cuts would affect all 22.3 million families who receive SNAP benefits nationwide, 5.3 million of which would lose at least $25 dollars per month, for an average monthly loss of $146 in SNAP benefits. As these cuts go into effect, local food banks and other community organizations are likely to see increased demand as families struggle to purchase food.
In the DC metropolitan region, the Capital Area Food Bank, which serves more than 1.5 million food insecure families, is one of several organizations likely to be affected. We find that more than 230,000 families in the DC metro region will experience lower benefits or lose all their SNAP benefits because of federal assistance cuts.
SNAP cuts would affect working families and families with children in the DC metro region
We used the Analysis of Transfers, Taxes, and Income Security (ATTIS) microsimulation model to estimate the effects of OBBBA on families in the DC metro region. We compared eligibility and benefits under current law with eligibility and benefits when the new legislation is fully implemented. ATTIS models select OBBBA provisions, including caps on future benefit amount increases, expanded work requirements, new matching fund requirements, and more.
From this analysis, we find that among the 230,000 families affected by federal SNAP reductions in the DC metro region, about 50,000 would lose at least $25 per month. These families would experience an average loss of about $187 per month—much greater than the $146 average national loss. The average price of a meal in DC alone was about $4.50 at the end of 2024, meaning the average cut to SNAP benefits is the equivalent of about 40 meals per month.
Dining and Cooking