Texas Offers Three Final Days to Apply for D-SNAP in Harris County

AUSTIN – Texas Health and Human Services announced today that Harvey victims will have three additional days to apply for D-SNAP in Harris County as the state begins to ramp down its post-Harvey program for disaster food relief.

The extra opportunity is being offered due to the challenges that exist when serving a large and densely populated area like Harris County. With input from local officials, it was determined that the large population and expansive nature of the county warranted another opportunity to apply.

The site will be open Wednesday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Deussen Park’s Senior Center and the Open Air Pavilion, 12303 Sonnier St. in Houston. Harvey victims who are residents of Harris County who missed earlier opportunities can apply at the site.

Applicants are encouraged to expect lines. Parking will be limited. The additional site was pinpointed with input from local officials about how to best serve the people of Harris County.

While D-SNAP typically is offered for up to seven days in a community, Texas will have offered D-SNAP in Harris County for a total of 18 days when the program closes Friday.

Law enforcement will be on site to assist with crowd management and address any security matters. HHS is encouraging only the applicant to visit application sites, as additional family members are creating congestion and other challenges.

According to preliminary numbers, more than 932,000 people have already been served at the sites in Harris County.

No additional extensions or phases of D-SNAP are being announced at this time. Applicants must be in line by 7 p.m. to be considered; those who arrive after 7 p.m. cannot get in line. Due to high volumes of applicants not all individuals in line at 7 p.m. will necessarily be served.

About D-SNAP

The Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as D-SNAP, provides short-term food benefits for eligible families recovering from a disaster.

For information on all currently approved D-SNAP sites, go to hhs.texas.gov/d-snap to find days and hours of operation.

D-SNAP is available to eligible people who are residents of one of the counties with a federal disaster declaration and weren’t receiving benefits through regular SNAP at the time of the disaster. Recipients will be given a Lone Star Card that will be loaded within three days with funds to purchase food from most grocery stores.

Residents of the affected counties may be eligible if they suffered damage to their home or business, loss of income or disaster-related expenses. Disaster-related expenses can include home repairs, temporary shelter or evacuation expenses.

Households must bring identification when applying for D-SNAP. Common types of verification include a driver’s license or other government-issued photo identification.

Eligible households will receive two months of benefits when their cards load. The benefit amount is equivalent to the maximum amount normally issued to a SNAP household of their size, within three days of applying.

Texas has been closely tracking eligibility and approvals for D-SNAP as benefits are delivered. Texas is administering D-SNAP based on federal guidelines and income parameters. Texas has controls in place to ensure benefits are provided to people who meet the requirements outlined by the federal program.

People who purposely provide wrong information to receive disaster benefits may be denied benefits, and legal action may be taken against them. 

More Information

People with questions about D-SNAP, including those who have special needs, should dial 2-1-1 and select option 6. For other storm-related services, including shelters, dial 2-1-1 and select option 5. For questions about TANF, Medicaid or CHIP, dial 2-1-1 and select option 2.

To check benefit amounts, recipients can visit YourTexasBenefits.com or call the Lone Star Help Desk at 800-777-7EBT (800-777-7328).