We are a statewide policy and advocacy organization dedicated to improving the health and well being of low income Californians by increasing their access to nutritious, affordable food.

Just Released: PAI and Lost Dollars, Empty Plates

02.08.2012 by Tia Shimada

New Report Bar Graph Icon2.8.2011 Today CFPA released new editions of the Program Access Index analysis and Lost Dollars, Empty Plates report. These publications provide key county- and state-level data.

The Program Access Index (PAI) is a county-level analysis that estimates CalFresh utilization among low-income Californians. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) uses an annual state-level PAI as one measure to “reward States for high performance in the administration of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)." Using a methodology modeled after USDA's, the CFPA analysis is one county-level indicator of CalFresh utilization and administrative performance.

Lost Dollars, Empty Plates assess the impact of CalFresh participation on state and local economies. According to data from USDA, California ranks last among all states for CalFresh/SNAP participation. As the Lost Dollars analysis shows, this low rate of CalFresh participation means less for all Californians – less nutrition assistance for eligible households, less economic activity, and less sales tax revenue for the state and local governments. These losses can be mitigated by eliminating unnecessary barriers to CalFresh participation. The report describes key steps California should take in improving CalFresh participation to recoup lost dollars and fill empty plates.

For more on the Program Access Index, visit CFPA's latest PAI page.

For more on Lost Dollars, Empty Plates, visit CFPA's latest LDEP page.