New York State Announces Expanded Outreach Efforts for SNAP and Other Nutrition Programs
New Nutrition Navigators Program Includes Increased State Funding for Outreach Services to Help More Than 340,000 Households with Seeking Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Other Nutrition Assistance
Navigators Will Also Assist SNAP Recipients in Meeting Expanded Federal SNAP Work Requirements Imposed by the Trump Administration
As the Federal Government Shifts SNAP Administrative Costs to States, New York Steps Up to Preserve This Important Work
The New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance today announced $26.4 million for enhanced outreach projected to help more than 340,000 New Yorkers with seeking, obtaining, and maintaining food assistance, including via the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and/or other nutrition assistance programming across New York State, through provision of information, application support, and more. The Nutrition Naviga tors program will replace and expand existing outreach efforts that help New Yorkers learn more about, apply for, and receive assistance from SNAP, including help navigating the expanded SNAP work requirements enacted and imposed by the Trump Administration under H.R.1 that put hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers at risk of losing some or all of their SNAP benefits.
“At a time when SNAP and other essential safety net programs have been under attack by the federal government, Governor Hochul has made increasing New Yorkers’ access to affordable, healthy food a central priority and has increased funding for policies and programs to fight hunger and food insecurity in our state,” Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance Commissioner Barbara C. Guinn said. “The Nutrition Navigators program will strengthen our ongoing efforts to connect more lower income New Yorkers to SNAP and other essential food assistance programs, especially in under served areas of the state.”
The Nutrition Naviga tors program will provide direct outreach to individuals seeking food assistance across New York State, including SNAP pre-screening, application assistance, information about SNAP, and support in meeting the expanded work requirements signed into law by President Trump. Participating providers will develop and implement innovative ways to connect potentially eligible individuals with SNAP benefits and other nutrition programs— including WIC, Summer EBT, the National School Lunch Program, and others—with the goal of helping New Yorkers make informed decisions about whether to apply for SNAP and/or other available programs and supporting them with navigating the application processes.
Overseen by the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA), the Nutrition Navigators program combines and builds upon the services that had previously been provided by the Nutrition Outreach and Education Program and Targeted SNAP Outreach Program, both of which ended on September 30, 2026.
In July 2025, President Trump signed H.R.1 into law, which expanded SNAP work requirements, putting hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers at-risk of losing assistance if they are unable to meet more stringent rules that limit SNAP receipt to three months in a three-year period for those who don’t comply. Since President Trump signed H.R.1 into law, OTDA has worked proactively to provide updates and information to help as many New Yorkers remain connected to SNAP and keep their benefits as possible. This includes:
Directing local social services districts to notify and assist SNAP recipients in complying with the requirements, by connecting them with job opportunities, facilitating their job search, and/or helping them find volunteer opportunities with locally-based provider organizations–going beyond the Federal requirements to offer New Yorkers support in maintaining their benefits.
Developing client-facing resources and a range of tools to assist SNAP recipients with documenting their participation, and conducting direct, repeated, and ongoing outreach to recipients, including across multiple channels, to let them know about the new requirements, explain the steps they need to take, how to comply, where to get help, and point them to the tools they can use as they do so.
Collaborating closely with local social services districts to provide training and guidance to help them administer these Federal changes and support local SNAP applicants and recipients. Also, sharing outreach materials with local districts, advocates, community-based organizations, State agencies, other partners statewide, to help push out clear and consistent information about the rules and how recipients can keep their benefits.
OTDA remains focused on continuing to support local districts and clients throughout implementation to ensure as many households as possible remain connected to vital SNAP benefits that help them afford food. The new Nutrition Navigators program includes increased state and local funding to maintain and enhance SNAP public outreach to offset the reduction, effective October 1, 2026, in federal reimbursement for SNAP administrative costs, including outreach, from 50% to 25%, as part of the Federal H.R. 1 bill, signed by President Trump last year.
In addition, the new Nutri tion Navigators program includes $4.4 million in funding for Hunger Solutions New York to provide state wide technical assistance and guidance to support the local services providers with training, research, program evaluation, and develop ment of outreach initiatives. Hunger Solutions will also help ensure federal regulations and State requirements are met and conduct a needs assessment to help OTDA identify underserved areas and improve statewide SNAP outreach.
In-person and virtual support will be available in every county, provided through 44 community-based direct services providers. Twelve counties will have virtual support services, which will be provided by Hunger Solutions.