Individuals living in an institution that meet one of the reasons below may be eligible for SNAP:

DIETARY RESTRICTIONS: An otherwise eligible person residing in an institution, which provides more than 50% of daily meals, may be eligible for SNAP if they are unable to eat the meals provided due to a verified need for a special diet, which the institution is unable or unwilling to provide. Verification should be documented from a physician or other qualified person of the customer’s special dietary needs and documentation from the institution that the required diet is not being provided.

ARCs: Individuals residing in an approved Addiction Recovery Center. See policy:255-3C.

GLAs: Individuals residing in an approved Group Living Arrangement. See policy:255-3D.

VULNERABLE INDIVIDUALS: Facilities that serve vulnerable populations, such as those who are under 18, aged, or have a disability, and offer some services such as case management may be eligible for SNAP benefits. If the organization does not serve more than 50% of the meals, allows individuals to prepare their own meals if possible, and have a designated location to store their own food, individuals can be eligible for SNAP benefits. These types of facilities do not need to be on the approved Group Living Arrangement (GLA) list.

HOMELESS RESIDENTS: Homeless residents in public or private nonprofit shelters for the homeless are eligible for SNAP. It does not matter how many meals are provided by the homeless shelter.

BATTERED INDIVIDUALS: Persons alone or with their children temporarily living in a Shelter for Battered Persons and Children. The shelter must be an authorized public or private nonprofit residential facility that houses battered persons and children. If the facility serves other people, part of the facility must be set aside on a long-term basis to serve only battered persons and children. These persons and their children are certified as individual household units.

Shelter residents who have just left a household containing the person who abused them may be currently certified for SNAP assistance in that household. Shelter residents included in such certified households may still apply for and receive SNAP assistance on a separate case, if otherwise eligible. The residents are considered a separate household. Shelter residents may receive an additional allotment as a separate household from the one they left only once a month.

Shelter residents may apply on their own behalf or name a shelter staff member or volunteer as an authorized representative.

Certify shelter residents as separate households based solely on their own income, assets and expenses for which they are responsible. Do not consider the income, assets, and expenses of their former household. Jointly owned assets may be unavailable according to policy 522 .

Payments made to the shelter for room are shelter expenses for the resident.

The household size shall be one person if the individual individual has no children in the shelter; or include the children with them in the household size.

Applications for shelter residents are new applications and must be evaluated for expedited service.

Prompt action must be taken to ensure the former household's eligibility or allotment reflects the change in household composition. See policy 770-2.

Shelter residents may use their SNAP assistance to purchase meals prepared especially for them at an authorized shelter.