A change in food stamp eligibility could negatively affect hundreds—if not thousands—of Morongo Basin residents. As of Wednesday, July 24, the Trump administration is capping the income level of those who are eligible to receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. Under the old guidelines, California and 39 other states allow a family of four to have an income that is up to double the federal poverty level to receive food stamps; in California, that is $50,208.
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The new federal guidelines would limit the annual income level to $32,640 for a family of four. Under the old guidelines, 11 out of 14 census tracts in the Morongo Basin had median household incomes that qualified families of four for food stamps. Under the new guidelines, only three census tracts—in north Joshua Tree, Wonder Valley, and Landers north into Johnson Valley—have median household incomes that would qualify a family of four for SNAP. Administration officials say the change will save the US government $2.5 billion annually. The US annual budget is $4.1 trillion, with a deficit of $779 billion.
