High prices, blackouts and half the money: Inside Puerto Rico’s stagnant food aid system

July 16, 2025

Puerto Rico residents receive federal food assistance through the Nutrition Assistance Program (NAP), a more limited version than the mainland's SNAP program, with benefits that cover significantly less despite high food costs. The recent tax and spending package passed by Congress has frozen mechanisms used to increase NAP funding, further straining a system where benefits average only $115 per person monthly compared to SNAP's $364 for a family of two. Recipients like Diane Call Fragoso describe the challenges of stretching insufficient benefits in Puerto Rico's expensive food system, which is still recovering from Hurricane Maria and plagued by frequent power outages that risk food spoilage.

Who is affected

Puerto Rico residents who receive Nutrition Assistance Program (NAP) benefits, particularly the 40% of the population living below the poverty line
Women, who make up almost 3 in 5 NAP recipients
Children under 17, who represent 1 in 4 NAP recipients
Families like Diane Call Fragoso and her daughter, who receive inadequate monthly benefits
Katie Holguín and other mothers struggling to feed their families on limited assistance
Puerto Rico's broader population affected by high food costs and frequent power outages

What action is being taken

The Banco de Alimentos De Puerto Rico food bank is distributing millions of pounds of food to help supplement inadequate NAP benefits
A "mochila alegre" program allows one child per household to select shelf-stable products for weekend meals
The Asociación Pro Juventud y Comunidad is helping 50 families in Cataño and Toa Baja feed their children over weekends
Recipients are developing precise shopping strategies to maximize their benefits, including scanning for deals and planning bulk purchases
The Puerto Rican legislative assembly is proposing resolutions to study transitioning to SNAP or allocate anticipatory funding

Why it matters

NAP benefits go only about a third as far as they used to due to inflation and rising prices
Puerto Rico imports over 80% of its food, making the system vulnerable to supply chain issues
Recipients receive significantly less assistance than mainland SNAP users ($115 per person vs. $364 for a family of two)
Frequent power outages (apagones) cause food spoilage, further reducing the value of limited benefits
The freezing of funding increases will prevent billions of dollars from reaching these programs over the next decade
The inequality in federal assistance contributes to migration away from Puerto Rico as people seek better opportunities
Puerto Rico's lack of political representation limits residents' ability to influence federal policy decisions about their food assistance

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: The 19th