No one should ever have to choose between one basic need over the other. Making decisions to have housing or healthcare, a meal or medication, and childcare or a career are not decisions anyone should have to make, especially in a country as rich as ours. 

As Kendrick Lamar evoked in his recent song “Man at the Garden,” You deserve it all.

It’s a human right to have our basic needs met.

As a community advocate, I’ve witnessed how I and others around me show up better when all our basic needs are met, and when we don’t have to decide between which needs can be met on a particular day. Having access to financial, governmental, or community resources and support alleviates a burden when meeting all basic needs is challenging. 

Programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid that many of us refer to as social welfare, public assistance, or government aid, assist people with meeting their basic needs. Formally, these programs, among others, are known as the social safety net: a collection of programs that provide support to people facing economic hardship. 

According to Health and Human Services, in 2019:

• 27 percent of working-age adults and 49 percent of children participate in a social safety net program. 

• Even more people facing economic hardship often need more than one program: 12 percent of adults and 33 percent of children participate in multiple safety net programs. 

• The largest social safety net programs in the United States are Medicaid (56.3 million enrollees), Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) (47 million enrollees), SNAP (37.5 million). 

Hear from three voices of people who use safety net programs and how these programs have positively impacted their lives: 

Note: BadgerCare is a health insurance program for low-income Wisconsin residents.

The Future of the Social Safety Net 

Under the new administration, things are quite literally changing daily and even, sometimes, hourly. 

On January 28th, 2025, President Trump announced cuts to federal grant programs, which was framed as a “funding freeze.” However, a federal judge blocked President Trump’s effort.

Things are unknown about the future of the social safety net, but it is important to know how federal funding works. Federal policy sets the rules for social safety net programs, but states are responsible for implementation. 

In other words, each state still has flexibility on how some programs are carried out regardless of funding. However, each social safety nets’ program funding is different. Programs like SNAP and EITC are primarily federally funded, whereas programs like Medicaid involve more state partnership. Therefore, states have less flexibility with primarily federally funded programs.

Overall, President Trump is not prioritizing the interests of the people, as most Americans do not want cuts to these programs. In fact, they are quite popular. According to research released by Navigator this year, 81 percent of Americans oppose cuts to Medicaid, 72 percent oppose cuts to SNAP, 71 percent oppose cuts to Head Start and childcare funding, and 69 percent oppose cutting housing assistance.

What We Can Do

We are not without options. During this time of uncertainty, here are things we can do:

• Lean on Community. I’ve noticed on my social media feed the emphasis on community during this time, and supporting each other is important now more than ever. Connect with mutual aid groups, local organizations, and peers for support who can provide resources and support to assist with meeting basic needs.

• Stay Informed but also take information breaks. Pay attention to political appointees and proposed policy within local and federal agencies. Appointees play a crucial role in implementing policy. However, there is a lot of information coming out daily, so another gem from our friend Kendrick Lamar in his song “tv off”: Turn the TV Off. Give yourself a break from taking in information that could be triggering or harmful to your well-being. 

• Be Civically Engaged. Stay up to date on your local elections. As stated above, states play an important role in how programs are implemented, so voting in your local elections will allow you to have some input on the future of the social safety net. 

And to do all of these things with one quick sign up – you can connect with Community Change here – get updates on organizing meetings, receive alerts about how you can take action from your phone, and join a political homebase with others who care about coming out on the other side of this with more care for all.

Imagine a world where universal access to food and health care existed and everyone’s basic needs were met.

This is what our world could look like if the social safety net funding is expanded, and we worked toward a society where everyone had universal access to resources to meet their basic needs. Let’s continue to work towards that vision.

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