Group recommends implementing 47 policies to ensure the health and safety of families with low income, including Medicaid expansion and ensuring access to no-cost COVID-19 evaluation, testing, and treatment for all Floridians
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida Policy Institute (FPI), Florida Children’s Council, League of Women Voters Florida, SPLC Action Fund, Florida Impact to End Hunger, Florida Voices for Health, and 39 other organizations today called on Gov. Ron DeSantis and state agencies to take immediate steps toward helping Sunshine State families with low income respond to the COVID-19 health crisis.
In a joint letter sent via email, the organizations urge Florida to adopt proactive COVID-19 policies to protect families who rely on safety net programs including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Reemployment Assistance (RA), and the Special Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).
“Preserving the safety net right now is literally a matter of life and death for people,” said Sadaf Knight, CEO of FPI. “While we applaud those steps already taken by the governor to waive certain requirements for Floridians to access safety net programs, there is much more that needs to be done to protect the millions of residents already struggling to get by on low income, and the millions more who will depend on programs like SNAP and TANF as our state sees massive layoffs.”
There are 47 policy recommendations outlined in the letter. They include:
“The organizations on this letter look forward to working with the governor and state agencies on implementing policies to protect all residents in the Sunshine State amid this public health crisis,” added Knight.
FPI is an independent, nonpartisan and nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing state policies and budgets that improve the economic mobility and quality of life for all Floridians.