Nearly one in five Harris County households rely on SNAP benefits, new UH poll finds

Natalie Weber / Houston Public Media

As the federal government nears a potential end to its shutdown, the fate of SNAP benefits is still on hold, and they may not be distributed immediately. A new poll finds that the lapse impacts nearly one out of every five Harris County residents.

Researchers from the University of Houston's Hobby School of Public Affairs found that 18.5% of Harris County residents use SNAP benefits, as do 15.27% of Houston residents in particular.

When broken down by race and ethnicity, the poll found disparities among SNAP recipients. Nearly a quarter of Houstonians are white, but only 9% of white residents claim SNAP. By contrast, about 22.1% of Houstonians are Black, but 34.6% of Black residents claim SNAP. Sign up for the Hello, Houston! daily newsletter to