State Aims to Help Families Struggling to Buy Food

New York Region State Aims to Help Families Struggling to Buy Food By KIRK SEMPLE Published: July 2, 2008 The state has found a way to significantly increase federal food assistance — by more than 50 percent in some cases — for about 114,000 impoverished households around the state. The increases are allowable under provisions in federal law that enable residents enrolled in the federal home-energy subsidy program to receive higher food stamp allocations. To benefit from the increases, 114,000 households, most of whom are in New York City public and Section 8 subsidized housing, will be enrolled in the energy subsidy program. The strategy is part of the state’s energy assistance plan, which is currently undergoing public comment and must be submitted to the federal Department of Health and Human Services by Sept. 1. State officials said they planned to begin the increase in food stamps on Oct. 1.