February 24 | Isabelle Panza
What Governor Hochul’s Proposed 2025 Budget Means for Food-Insecure and Low-Income Long Islanders
Governor Kathy Hochul recently announced her proposed 2025 budget for New York. While it’s not yet finalized—the deadline for approval is April 1st—it includes several key initiatives that could have a major impact on Long Islanders struggling with food insecurity, housing, and other basic needs.
In her budget address, Governor Hochul emphasized making New York more affordable, saying:
“This includes decisive action to increase our housing stock, which will help keep New York families in their homes and reverse the decades-long trend of outmigration.”
Outmigration refers to the increasing number of people leaving New York due to the high cost of living. The governor also highlighted efforts to control Medicaid spending while ensuring public healthcare programs remain sustainable and accessible for vulnerable New Yorkers.
But what does this budget really mean for Long Islanders struggling to make ends meet? Let’s take a closer look.
Universal School Meals: A Lifeline for Families
One of the most significant proposals is universal free school meals. If approved, every student in New York—2.7 million children—will receive free breakfast and lunch at school. This would not only save families hundreds of dollars a year but also ensure that children regardless of their economic status are nourished.
Beyond the financial relief, this program would also eliminate the stigma associated with free meals. Currently, students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals are often singled out, but under this plan, every child would have access to meals—no questions asked.
Governor Hochul put it simply:
“The research is clear: good food in the lunchroom creates good grades in the classroom.”
Studies have consistently shown that students who eat breakfast perform better academically than those who don’t. To support this initiative, the budget includes $180 million to help eligible schools participate in the federal Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) program, allowing them to provide meals at no cost to all students.
Summer Food Benefits: Fighting Hunger Year-Round
Another crucial piece of the budget focuses on summer food benefits. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government created the Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) program, which provided grocery benefits to low-income families while schools were closed. That program has since been made permanent, but states are now required to contribute 50% of the funding to administer it.
Governor Hochul’s proposed budget includes $13 million to support the program, unlocking over $200 million in benefits for more than 2 million children across New York. For families who struggle to put food on the table during the summer months—when school meal programs aren’t available—this funding is essential.
Housing: Keeping New Yorkers in Their Homes
For many Long Islanders, being unable to find affordable housing is one of the reasons they face food insecurity. Governor Hochul’s budget proposes a $500 million investment in rental assistance, eviction prevention, and supportive housing programs. This funding could help thousands of families stay in their homes, particularly those at risk of homelessness due to rising rents and the lack of affordable housing options.
The budget also aims to increase housing supply across the state by fast-tracking the development of new housing units, particularly in areas with the greatest demand. If successful, this could ease some of the pressure on Long Island’s housing market, where high costs continue to push families to the brink.
What This Means for Long Island
If the budget passes as proposed, these programs could be life-changing for many Long Islanders. Universal school meals would help ensure no child feels the harmful of effects of hunger in the classroom, summer food benefits would provide critical support to families when school is out, and investments in housing could keep more families in stable homes.
We are very pleased to see what Governor Hochul introduced in her Executive Budget. As hunger advocates, we can already see that the Governor is prioritizing food insecurity and working to make New York more affordable so that more of our friends and family members can live, work, and raise their families here.
We are also advocating for a final budget which fully funds the Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program (HPNAP) at $75M and Nourish NY at $75M. HPNAP supports a statewide network of food banks and community-based organizations with funding for food purchases, transportation, and infrastructure. Nourish New York enables food relief organizations to purchase healthy food grown right here in New York. Furthermore, we are calling for the final budget to appropriate the $70 million required to ensure that all New Yorkers participating in SNAP receive a more adequate minimum benefit of $100 per month. The current minimum benefit is $23. We are all aware this is woefully inadequate today. Taken together, all of these proposals would improve food security and provide a more adequate backstop for hungry New Yorkers.
But with the budget still up for debate, it’s important to keep the conversation going. Funding for food assistance, housing, and social services is not just an expense—it’s an investment in stronger, healthier communities.
We’ll continue to follow the budget process closely and advocate for policies that help Long Islanders facing food insecurity. To voice your support for these priorities, let Governor Hochul and your state elected officials know you prioritize hunger this budget cycle below: