Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced Friday that additional funding for Michigan food assistance programs will continue through October.
Households eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Electronic Benefits Transfer will get at least an additional $95 dollars this month.
The payments began to blunt the effects of job loss during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Now, Whitmer said in a statement, the payments are intended to address the rising cost of food and ensure federal tax dollars are spent within Michigan communities.
Alex Canepa, the assistant director of policy at the Fair Food Network, said inflation has made food less affordable for some Michigan residents.
"What we see now is larger shifts in the overall economy, particularly around the retail price of food, stretching families budgets, if wages don't rise in a corresponding way, or if benefits don't adjust quickly and nimbly to react to those higher prices."
The additional funding began in 2021. Extending it requires federal approval each month.
The grocery store chain Meijer also said it's now providing a discount on groceries for food aid recipients.
