key takeaway
For most Californians experiencing homelessness, CalFresh (SNAP) is among the few safety net programs that consistently provide basic access to food. Under the Republican megabill H.R. 1, arbitrary time limits and work requirements threaten food assistance for unhoused adults ages 18–64 without a disabling condition or dependents.
Many Californians experiencing homelessness rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), or CalFresh in California, to meet their basic food needs while searching for or on a waitlist for a stable home. Republican Megabill H.R. 1 included historic cuts, eligibility restrictions, ineffective work requirements, and time limits for SNAP that are estimated to impact over 97% of CalFresh households. These additional administrative requirements will cost California $2.5 billion to $4.5 billion in federal funding annually, funds that could be better spent on ensuring people receive the benefits they need to survive.
Among unhoused Californians without children who reported receiving SNAP, at least 1 in 4 adults experiencing homelessness — over 24,000 Californians — could lose their benefits in 2026 due to federal changes. This includes nearly 30 percent of unhoused adults ages 18-49 and one in six unhoused older adults age 50-64.
Unhoused adults of color who reported receiving SNAP will be disproportionately harmed, with the highest risk of losing food assistance among Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, Asian, Black, and Multi-Race adults aged 18-49. Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, Asian, and Multi-Race unhoused older adults aged 50-64 also face disproportionate risk of losing their benefits.
Adults experiencing homelessness without dependents were previously exempt from a time limit on their SNAP benefits. The Republican megabill, H.R.1, explicitly removed people experiencing homelessness, along with veterans and former foster youth, from this category. Now, adults without children — whether living on the streets of their communities, in emergency shelters, or in vehicles — face a punitive 3-month SNAP time limit unless they qualify for an exemption or meet an 80-hours per month work requirement. The new federal rule leaves Californians experiencing homelessness in an impossible situation, as the median length of homelessness in California is nearly two years, largely due to a severe shortage of housing assistance and deeply affordable housing.
H.R. 1 and the Federal Budget
H.R. 1, the harmful Republican mega bill passed in July 2025, will deeply harm Californians by cutting funding for essential programs like health care, food assistance, and education.
See how California leaders can respond and protect vital supports.
While implementation guidelines are still being developed, SNAP recipients could be subject to these new restrictions at their next recertification within the next year. For unhoused adults, maintaining even the minimal food assistance they receive will be nearly impossible unless they meet strict exemptions, like having “certified” physical or mental limitations, participating in qualifying substance use disorder programs (which may not have a housing component), or pursuing education at least half-time. Adults with self-reported disabilities may be denied, depending on how the state verifies disabilities and applies exemptions.
People experiencing chronic homelessness or those receiving Supplemental Security Income/Social Security Disability Insurance (SSI/SSDI) should be exempt from the time limits, but many others may still lose their benefits due to administrative and eligibility barriers. Chronic homelessness has a narrow definition, and countless of unhoused Californians with disabilities are waiting on approvals, appealing denials, or stuck in the process of applying for Social Security benefits — a process worsened by federal staffing cuts at the Social Security Administration. Plus, many adults experiencing homelessness do not qualify under either of these designations, leaving them at the highest risk of losing food assistance.
chronic Homelessness
An individual experiencing chronic homelessness is defined as a person with a disability who has either been continuously homeless for a year or more or has experienced at least four episodes of homelessness in the last three years where the combined length of time unhoused is at least twelve months.
How H.R. 1’s SNAP Rules Push Survival Beyond Reach
The federal changes to SNAP create a direct threat to the survival of thousands of unhoused Californians by driving hunger, creating red tape, and compounding trauma that pushes people deeper into poverty. While many Californians who are unhoused are employed, H.R. 1’s 80-hour-per-month work or education requirement is particularly severe for people experiencing homelessness, since homelessness disrupts work and schooling. Being unhoused also limits access to transportation, water, places to prepare and store food, and other daily activities like rest — all of which are fundamental conditions needed to maintain a job or attend school. Adults without dependents are also the largest share of California’s unhoused population, and these restrictions further erode the minimal safety net supports for which they qualify.
California Can Ensure Unhoused Adults Retain Basic Access to Food Assistance
State policymakers can protect unhoused Californians’ access to food assistance by strengthening investments in CalFresh and ensuring that all Californians meet their most basic needs. Key strategies to mitigate the harm from H.R. 1 include:
- Expand and embed flexible exemption criteria so adults experiencing homelessness are not excluded due to traditional work or education requirements. Policies and exemption qualifications should reflect the realities and daily activities that come with living in shelters, on the streets, or in vehicles.
- Leverage the Homeless Data Integration System (HDIS) and relationships with homeless service providers to identify individuals who are at-risk of losing benefits or who may qualify for exemptions based on self-reported information not captured in other databases.
- Increase state resources to support CalFresh access by allocating additional funding for benefit continuity and application and outreach assistance.
In a state as wealthy and influential as California, no one should go hungry. State leaders can act to defend communities from harmful federal policies and ensure Californians have access to the food assistance they need to survive.
Monica Saucedo contributed to this publication.
