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Urban Justice Center

SNAP Enrollment for Eligible New Yorkers, Phase 2

In 2024, NYHealth awarded the Safety Net Project at the Urban Justice Center (SNP-UJC) a second grant to continue to improve the timely processing of SNAP applications for eligible and food-insecure New Yorkers.

Healthy Food, Healthy Lives

Grantee Name

Urban Justice Center

Funding Area

Healthy Food, Healthy Lives

Publication Date

February 2026

Grant Amount

$125,003

Grant Date:

June 2024

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SNAP is the nation’s most important anti-hunger program. More than 1.7 million New York City residents are enrolled in this program; rising rates of food insecurity have led to an increase in demand for SNAP. NYHealth made a grant to the Safety Net Project at the Urban Justice Center (SNP-UJC) in 2023 to maximize SNAP enrollment for eligible New Yorkers. In 2024, NYHealth awarded SNP-UJC a second grant to continue to improve the timely processing of SNAP applications for eligible and food-insecure New Yorkers.

Outcomes and Lessons Learned

  • Increased awareness and helped improve the processing of SNAP applications. The City is processing 83% of SNAP applications on-time, up from 42% when SNP-UJC’s launched their advocacy.
  • Hired its first full-time Welfare Rights Organizer, significantly strengthening benefits organizing capacity, especially through Spanish and French language access;
  • Secured multiple high-profile media placements centering directly impacted members’ voices;
  • Successfully obtained and analyzed Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) data on SNAP application delays and denials, and leveraged that data in their advocacy efforts with policymakers and the public;
  • Invested in leadership development among its membership including an intensive six-week organizing course designed to substantially boost campaign knowledge and advocacy skills;
  • Developed a multi-year strategic plan to grow their organizing model through campaigns, base-building, and leadership development;
  • Strengthened relationships with labor unions, healthcare advocates, and anti-poverty organizations locally and nationally;

With NYHealth support, SNP-UJC raised awareness of SNAP application delays and denials through targeted organizing, advocacy, and media strategies, which featured impacted community members. This visibility—along with a class action lawsuit—put pressure on the City. Efforts paid off, and the City largely eliminated the application backlog by adding workforce to address shortages, investing in technological solutions, and securing waivers from the State to allow for faster processing.

When federal SNAP cuts emerged in 2025, SNP-UJC shifted from city-level advocacy to public education, coalition work, and mobilization at the federal level. Despite limited prior advocacy experience at this level, SNP-UJC successfully engaged in national actions, hosted town halls, developed clear outreach materials in English and Spanish informing New Yorkers about the proposed SNAP cuts, and joined a key congressional district coalition. While federal SNAP cuts passed in the summer of 2025, SNP-UJC’s organizing contributed to broad public opposition, delayed implementation of some provisions, and expanded the organization’s relationships, visibility, and influence for future mobilization.

Co-Funding and Additional Funds Leveraged: N/A

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