The Greater Chicago Food Depository shares Governor Pritzker’s concerns highlighted in his budget address – notably that Illinoisans are “still paying too much for groceries, too much for housing, too much for electricity — too much to live.”
As Illinois braces for the devastating impact of historic cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid that were included in H.R. 1 (the “One Big Beautiful Bill”), the FY27 proposed budget unveiled Wednesday demonstrated an ongoing commitment to helping Illinois residents meet their basic needs.
The proposed budget maintains critical funding for the administration of SNAP amid increasing cost obligations imposed by the federal government; boosts staffing at the Illinois Department of Human Services to navigate significant federal program changes; ensures continued access to healthcare for immigrant seniors; proposes measures to expand housing supply and affordability; and builds on the progress of the Medical Debt Relief Program – which has already secured $1billion in relief for Illinoisans. These investments strengthen vital safety net programs, strike at root causes of poverty and hunger, and protect families from having to choose between food and other necessities.
However, we believe now is the time for even greater state investment to prevent widespread hunger in our communities. Alongside a growing coalition of partners, the Food Depository is championing legislation that would provide urgent support to Illinoisans facing SNAP cuts:
- SB3277 (sponsored by Leader Elgie R. Sims Jr.) and HB4730 (sponsored by Leader Dagmara Avelar) creates the Families Receiving Emergency Support for Hunger (FRESH) program, which would provide one‑time emergency assistance equal to three months of lost SNAP benefits, keeping food on the table for vulnerable families and individuals as they navigate benefit loss. An estimated 250,000 Illinois residents could qualify for this short‑term, crisis support over the next year.
- HB4831 (sponsored by Leader Lisa Hernandez) and SB3167 (sponsored by Sen. Graciela Guzman) prevents lawful immigrants who are being cut from the SNAP program under H.R. 1 from losing their benefits by building on an existing state-funded food assistance program for survivors of torture and trafficking who are pursuing lawful status, called the VTTC Food program (Victims of Trafficking, Torture, and Other Serious Crimes). This legislation would expand the program to cover the roughly 16,000 immigrants who lose eligibility due to H.R. 1 so that these families can continue receiving essential food assistance. Unfortunately, we are disappointed that the Governor’s budget proposes cutting the program by nearly 43%.
The Governor correctly emphasized the heavy financial burden that federal mandates are placing on Illinois - $8.4 billion through FY29. Approximately $1.45 billion will be needed just to keep SNAP running. If the state does not make this critical investment, we face losing the program altogether – a catastrophic prospect for nearly 2 million Illinois SNAP participants who rely on the program to afford food.
The Greater Chicago Food Depository will also be supporting a bill aimed at helping Illinois leaders prepare for this unprecedented shift in costs from the federal government to the state budget:
- SB3276 (sponsored by Leader Elgie R. Sims Jr.) / HB5062 (sponsored by Leader Camille Lilly) would establish a dedicated, one‑year working group within the Illinois Commission to End Hunger to track the impact of H.R. 1, produce data‑driven reports, and ensure legislators are fully aware of the implications of the cuts as they develop the FY28 state budget and secure the necessary resources to preserve SNAP for Illinois residents.
The Food Depository is disappointed that in a time when both farmers and hungry families are struggling, the FY27 proposed budget did not include resources for the Farm to Food Bank program. We look forward to working with the Illinois General Assembly to secure funding for this impactful program, which supports neighbors and local economies by supplying pantries with fresh produce, dairy, meat, and eggs directly from Illinois farms.
The stakes have never been higher for our neighbors who are struggling to make ends meet. As federal cuts to food assistance threaten to create the most severe hunger crisis in our state’s history, the Greater Chicago Food Depository and a growing coalition of advocates are committed to working with the Illinois General Assembly and the Governor’s office. Illinois needs a state budget that reflects the Governor's core values of empathy, kindness, and love.
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