As emergency food assistance nears end, 1 in 5 Texans face hunger

As COVID-era SNAP benefit increases are set to expire after this month, more than 1 in 5 Texans are worried they or their families will not have enough to eat.

AUSTIN, Texas (Nexstar) -- As COVID-era SNAP benefit increases are set to expire after this month, more than 1 in 5 Texans are worried they or their families will not have enough to eat.

Polling from the nonprofit No Kid Hungry and Change Research shows that more than one in three adults reported at least one symptom of food insecurity in the past year, including 40% of parents.

The group is raising concerns as federal food assistance is set to decrease in March. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress increased the amount of money states could distribute to families under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. Those increases are set to expire next month.

That change could mean significant cuts to some families' food budgets. For a family of four, monthly allotments could drop from the maximum of $939 to the base of $500.

All SNAP recipients will lose at least the additional $95 in benefits provided under the COVID emergency allotments.

Rural Texans are impacted especially hard by food insecurity. 44% of rural respondents reported one or more symptoms of food insecurity, the largest percentage of any group.

"We still have families, especially those here in Southeast Austin, who struggle with food security," Austin City Council member Vanessa Fuentes said at the opening of the Central Texas Food Bank's food pantry on Thursday. "For many of our families, they are struggling to make ends meet and sometimes have that tough choice of choosing between putting food on the table and paying for health care."

17 states have already ended the additional emergency assistance. This month, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott directed the Health and Human Services Commission to extend nearly $346 million in benefits for the final month allowed by the USDA.

“The State of Texas has been able to help millions of families across our great state access the food they need to stay healthy,” Gov. Abbott said in a press release early this month. "We're proud to have provided billions of dollars in supplemental benefits so Texans could have healthy and nutritious food options to take care of their families and loved ones."

His office says these benefits will help 1.6 million Texas households.

This story is ongoing and will be updated as more information comes available.