Ad
News Education Local News Nation & World New Mexico

Study: La Plata County needs improvement on food stamp enrollment

State organization releases first food stamp impact report
State organization releases first food stamp impact report

La Plata County’s food stamp program has room for improvement, according to a study released Thursday measuring the efficiency and accessibility of the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program across the state.

For the first time, Hunger Free Colorado released a report with county-specific data. The analysis shows La Plata County ranks 18th out of 22 medium-sized Colorado counties in connecting families to food stamps and 20th out of 22 for determining if a family is eligible for the program.

A five-year data set from 2009 to 2013 was used to calculate numbers for Colorado’s small- and medium-sized counties.

Of the 446,625 enrolled in the program statewide, 3,266 are enrolled in La Plata County. A total of $5.7 million in benefits are issued annually in the county, and the cost to administer the program is $150,807. Only 43 percent of eligible individuals are enrolled, compared to 57 percent in the state and 75 percent nationally.

Colorado’s food stamp program is a state-supervised and county-administered program. The report shows Colorado performs poorly overall, ranking 46th in the nation for food stamp access.

Joel McClurg, policy analyst for Hunger Free Colorado, said one of the most significant statistics provided in the report are potential grocery sales lost. For La Plata County, an estimated $7.1 million would have been spent on groceries by those who are eligible but not enrolled in the program. Estimated lost sales for the state is $686 million.

The figure is calculated by multiplying the number of eligible but not enrolled individuals in a county by the average annual benefit to the county that comes from an enrolled individual.

McClurg said the number is significant, because while those individuals still spend money on food, they often choose between food and other costs, such as utilities or rent. According to a national study, people enrolled in food stamp programs cost the system 30 percent less.

Variances in county performance on program access depends on resources, client demographics and county-specific operations of the human services department.

County expenditures on the program are divided by the number of enrolled individuals to find the approximate cost of enrollment.

Return on investment is money spent within the community, such as on groceries, versus the amount spent on administering the program. Typically, the higher the enrollment, the higher the return, but that is contingent upon the county’s efficiency in spending.

In that respect, La Plata County performs well, spending $178.59 per client, compared with the $199.12 state average. The county’s return on investment is $9.62, compared with the state average of $9.09.

McClurg pointed to larger, higher-cost counties such as Boulder and Denver that struggle with performance. He said for La Plata County, the data point is too small to accurately gauge the timeliness of processing enrollment.

“We want counties to use this information to have a conversation as an impetus to reach out to human services and say this is affecting us, people’s health and their well-being,” McClurg said.

“Colorado has always been in the bottom 5 percent nationally for enrollment. If we consider ourselves the healthiest state in the nation, we should be better than the bottom 5 percent.”

County Human Services Director Lezlie Mayer said consistent turnover within the department over the past few years puts a strain on the program’s success, but in recent months, human services has met processing guidelines.

“The focus has been on processing and accuracy of the cases, and with limited resources, we’ve been focusing on meeting the needs of those who come through our doors,” Mayer said. “We have not focused on any kind of outreach to get folks in who may not be applying.”

Hunger Free Colorado, an organization dedicated to ending hunger in the state, launched in 2009 after a merger of Colorado Anti-Hunger Network and the Colorado Food Bank Association.

jpace@durangoherald.com

Food stamps in Southwestern Colorado

Archuleta County: 12th of 32 small-sized counties in connecting families to food stamps, and 13th for determining eligibility. There are 1,010 individuals enrolled and an estimated $1.9 million in lost grocery sales.

Dolores County: 14th of 32 small-sized counties in connecting families to food stamps, and 20th for determining eligibility. There are 144 individuals enrolled and an estimated $299,701 in lost grocery sales.

Hinsdale County: 29th of 32 small-sized counties in connecting families to food stamps, and fifth for determining eligibility. There are 25 individuals enrolled and an estimated $135,083 in lost grocery sales.

Montezuma County: 14th of 22 medium-sized counties in connecting families to food stamps, and 15th for determining eligibility. There are 3,126 individuals enrolled and an estimated $5 million in lost grocery sales.

San Juan County: 17th of 32 small-sized counties in connecting families to food stamps, and 29th for determining eligibility. There are 64 individuals enrolled and an estimated $146,540 in lost grocery sales.



Reader Comments