Over the next three months, around 313,000 Oregon adults may be impacted by additional eligibility and work requirements to receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits — better known as SNAP — according to the Oregon Department of Human Services.
The list of people who will lose benefits includes refugees, people granted asylum in the U.S., parolees and several other immigrant groups.
In January 2026, work requirements may also be enforced for Oregonians with teenage dependents, older adults, veterans and people experiencing homelessness. Six counties are already enforcing these requirements when residents apply or renew their applications.
For applicants who applied or renewed their applications in early July and beyond, the changes take place right away. For those who already have been receiving SNAP since before early July, the changes will likely go into effect in January.
Kali Kleven, vice chair of Oregon State Public Interest Research Group students and Zero Hunger campaign coordinator said she felt the SNAP changes didn’t represent the public interest of Oregonians.
“Nobody is sitting there saying, ‘Oh yeah I wish people would go hungry,’ and that money (that was funding SNAP) should go to things that Oregonians want to happen,” Kleven said.
She also said Oregonians may be facing confusion due to the complex new rules.
“There is a lack of communication with what resources are available and I think food assistance is something that people can feel really insecure about asking for help for and having those resources being hidden can be really hard,” Kleven said.
Among the most impacted by the changes in H.R. 1 are refugees, people granted asylum and certain other lawfully present immigrants.
Zoë Livelybrooks is a refugee and immigrant services program volunteer coordinator for Catholic Community Services of Lane County. Her work focuses on helping community members and their families become self-sufficient in their day-to-day lives.
“For our clients that are eligible (for SNAP), I think it’s been really key for them as they’ve been going through this transition and as we’re helping them look for work,” Livelybrooks said. “It has been really crucial for them to have that extra support to make sure they can afford food.”
She encouraged residents to rely on other food pantry networks in Lane County, but sees the potential for extra stress on these resources as SNAP eligibility tightens.
“I think we do have a lot of other good resources in the community. Whether those are faith-based organizations or just other groups that are doing their bit to combat hunger,” Livelybrooks said.
Livelybrooks said keeping the people they serve up to date has been “really tricky” because RISP is constantly learning new information from ODHS.
“We are still in a place where we have not been given enough information to know exactly which of our clients will be impacted and when,” Livelybrooks said. “It has been frustrating because I think there has been a general lack of clarity.”
Eugene’s chapter of Easterseals, an organization that provides essential services to people with disabilities and veterans, could also be affected by the new eligibility requirements.
Tom Larrañaga, an Easterseals homeless veterans re-integration career navigator, said uncertainty is trickling down from the federal level.
“We are all in the same boat. We don’t know what tomorrow is going to bring,” Larrañaga said. “The government is tying our hands up and we’re screwed.”
ODHS said the changes in SNAP eligibility could also have effects on local businesses and the Oregon economy.
“Local grocers, farmers, food distributors and the people working for them also lose business when fewer people can afford food, which decreases the dollars going into Oregon’s food economy,” an ODHS spokesperson said in a statement to The Emerald. “Every $1 in SNAP benefits generates $1.50 to $1.80 in local economic activity. SNAP drives an estimated $1.6 billion into the Oregon economy each year.”
The UO Basic Needs program supports students with applying for SNAP and offers other resources to address food insecurity that do not require SNAP eligibility. These include food pantries, a produce drop and a program called Textover Leftover where students can take home uneaten food from UO events.
UO Basic Needs declined a request for an interview but said “UO is waiting for further guidance on how the SNAP benefit changes will affect students who are part of the program.
