Arizona’s SNAP Losses Are Still Alarmingly High

New data from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities shows that Arizona continues to experience one of the most alarming SNAP participation declines in the country — a warning sign for everyone who cares about hunger, children and family stability.

According to CBPP’s July 21 SNAP tracker, Arizona SNAP participation declined by 55% from July 2025 to April 2026. Using more recent state data through June 2026, participation was still down 48%, even after slight increases in May and June. CBPP’s state table shows 437,118 fewer Arizonans receiving SNAP as of June 2026 — including 182,058 fewer children, a 49% decline in child participation.

These numbers do not mean hunger has disappeared. CBPP notes that unemployment has remained roughly flat nationally, making it unlikely that reduced need explains the steep drop in SNAP participation. In fact, when SNAP participation falls while need remains high, it may mean eligible families are losing access because of paperwork barriers, processing delays, stricter eligibility rules, administrative pressure or difficulty navigating the system.

Earlier this summer, LAMA celebrated important hunger relief wins in Arizona’s FY2027 budget: $3.0 million in Food Bank Capital Assistance, $1.8 million for Summer SNAP/SUN Bucks, and $2.0 million for the Produce Incentive Program/Double Up Food Bucks. These investments matter. They strengthen food bank infrastructure, help children eat during the summer months when school meals are not available, and help families stretch food dollars for fresh fruits and vegetables.

But the scale of the SNAP decline puts those wins in perspective. Arizona’s FY2027 hunger investments total $6.8 million. Spread across the 437,118 Arizonans who are no longer receiving SNAP, that equals roughly $16 per person— not as a real distribution plan, but as a simple measure of scale. Spread across the 182,058 children no longer receiving SNAP, it equals about $37 per child. That comparison makes the point clearly: Arizona’s state investments are valuable, but they cannot replace the federal nutrition assistance families have lost.

The type of funding matters, too. Food Bank Capital Assistance is essential for storage, transportation and distribution capacity, especially in rural, urban and Tribal communities — but it is infrastructure funding, not monthly grocery money in a family’s EBT account. Double Up Food Bucks is an excellent produce incentive, but it works best for families who still have SNAP dollars to spend. SUN Bucks helps children during the summer, but the $1.8 million state investment would reach only a limited share of children affected by the broader SNAP decline.

So will Arizona’s FY2027 hunger funding be effective? Yes, but only in a limited way. It will help food banks move food more efficiently. It will help some children eat during the summer. It will help some families buy more healthy produce. These are faithful, practical and important investments.

But the funding will not be sufficient to meet the magnitude of the current hunger crisis. It cannot replace SNAP benefits for hundreds of thousands of Arizonans. It cannot by itself fix administrative barriers that may be keeping eligible families from receiving help. And it cannot relieve the pressure food pantries, congregations and community ministries will feel if SNAP participation continues to fall.

This is why advocacy must continue at both the state and federal levels. Arizona lawmakers should protect and expand state hunger programs, strengthen DES capacity, reduce administrative barriers, and make sure eligible families can access the help they need. Congress should act to prevent further SNAP losses, delay harmful cost shifts to states, and protect SNAP as the nation’s most important anti-hunger program.

Lutherans believe that public policy should help neighbors meet basic needs and live with dignity. The ELCA social statement Sufficient, Sustainable Livelihood for All reminds us that “we do not eat alone; everyone needs to eat.” That simple truth should guide our response when hundreds of thousands of Arizonans — including children — lose food assistance.

Arizona’s FY2027 hunger wins are worth celebrating. They show that advocacy matters. But the latest SNAP numbers are a call to deeper action. Hunger is not inevitable. It is shaped by public choices. And people of faith must keep insisting that every neighbor deserves enough to eat.