Measure Description
CalFresh is a federally mandated, state-supervised, and county-operated program that issues monthly electronic benefits to assist qualified households and individuals in purchasing food.
The CalFresh Active Caseload is the total number of households receiving food and nutrition benefits from the CalFresh program. This measure is a workload indicator. The San Francisco Human Services Agency administers and tracks CalFresh services.
Why this Measure is Important
Reporting on the CalFresh Active Caseload provides the public, elected officials, and City staff with a current snapshot of the demand for San Francisco safety net services.
Low-income individuals and households can use a CalFresh EBT card to buy food at retail food outlets, grocery stores, and farmers markets. This benefit is called "Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program" (SNAP) at the federal level and "CalFresh" in California. It is designed to improve the health and well-being of children and low-income households by ensuring access to a nutritious diet.
The interactive chart below presents the City’s CalFresh Active Caseload.
The chart’s legend is below:
- Y-axis: CalFresh Active Caseload
- X-Axis: Calendar year
CalFresh Active Caseload
How Performance is Measured
The CalFresh Active Caseload is calculated using the following methodology:
Number of distinct households who are receiving food and nutrition benefits from the CalFresh program.
These counts include all CalFresh cases administered by SFHSA without exception for subprogram, public assistance status, or administering program/unit within SFHSA. The number displayed on the scorecard page represents a fiscal year average of CalFresh active cases shown in the chart above.
Data Notes and Sources
All CalFresh cases are tracked and reported using CalWIN, an administrative database used in 18 California counties.
California extended eligibility in 2019 to recipients of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) while also launching a new application portal developed with Code for America, called GetCalFresh. Applications and participation increased significantly during this period.
Data lag time: CalFresh Active Caseloads are reported with a two-month lag. For example, May’s data will be available in July.
Visit DataSF to access the scorecard data.
Additional Information
- Apply for CalFresh and learn more about the program by visiting HSA's website.
- Find recipes and nutrition education resources at EatFresh.org.
- The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) reports additional data about CalFresh, including participation rates and new applications for each California county. Open the department's interactive dashboard to learn more.
City Performance Scorecards
This page is part of the City Performance Scorecards.
Return to the Safety Net Services Scorecard.
Return to the City Performance Scorecards Home Page.