County Supervisors Vote YES to Improve CalFresh Access

For the decades, San Diego Hunger Coalition and other organizations have advocated and worked together with the County of San Diego Health & Human Services Agency to improve access to County-administered public assistance including CalFresh, CalWORKS, Medi-Cal, Cash Assistance Programs for Immigrants, and General Relief.

On April 6, 2021, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 to approve a letter submitted by Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer to see what else the County can do to improve access and enrollment in these vital programs. The COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on food insecurity in the region, and the dramatic increase in demand for food assistance, has lead to greater public interest in increasing access to public assistance as many attempt to use these programs for the first time.

Supervisor Lawson-Remer’s letter to the County Board of Supervisors created a new subcommittee under the Social Services Advisory Board called the Outreach, Accessibility, and Enrollment Task Force (SSAB Enrollment Task Force) to review the efficiency of these programs and provide recommendations for improving the enrollment process.

Feedback from residents and resident leaders suggest that some may feel intimidated by the prospect of asking County officials for help and often don’t know where or how to begin the enrollment process.

“We want people to come to the County when they need help, not be scared away because programs are confusing or intrusive,” said Supervisor Lawson-Remer.

The Enrollment Task Force would be formed under the Social Services Advisory Board (SSAB), currently chaired by San Diego Hunger Coalition President & CEO Anahid Brakke and would include an ad hoc workgroup comprised of three additional members of the SSAB:

Anahid Brakke
SD Hunger Coalition;
SSAB Chair

Jan Spencley
San Diegans for Healthcare Coverage

Keara Piña
Center on Policy Initiatives

Greg Anglea
Interfaith Community Services

“I couldn’t be more excited about the opportunity to build upon all of the incredible work the County of San Diego Health and Human Services have done over the past ten years to make the process better,” says Anahid Brakke, CEO of San Diego Hunger Coalition and Chair of the Social Services Advisory Board, “now we can work together to do the fine tuning to ensure that anyone seeking assistance not only can get it, but has a good experience.”

The ad hoc workgroup will meet between now and December 2021 and will develop a productive way to engage communities and key stakeholders in the discovery and recommendation processes. The SSAB Enrollment Task Force will provide recommendations by December 7, 2021, with opportunities for improvement and ways to increase enrollment in county-administered public assistance programs.

Why is the SSAB Task Force needed? Read more to find out . . .

Supervisor Lawson-Remer’s request was supported by over a dozen video testimonies from San Diegans accessing or attempting to access public assistance, letters of support from local nonprofits, and live call-ins during the April 6th Board of Supervisors meeting.

The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously in favor of forming the Enrollment Task Force to provide recommendations for improving the County’s services, to increase access and racial equity, and ultimately, to provide assistance to every eligible San Diegan in need.