whatdidgovtdofor.you

New York City program, October 2026

SNAP shoppers get up to $14 a day free for produce at NYC markets

Ink drawing of Zohran Mamdani

Led by

Illustration from official portrait.See the photo (NYC Mayor's Office)© City of New York, used as a drawing reference.

  • $2.3 million Health Bucks the city expects SNAP shoppers to receive in 2027
  • 100+ farmers markets and farm stands where Health Bucks can be used

Underway. Benefits start Jan. 1, 2027. The city announced the higher cap on Oct. 29, 2026, and it takes effect in January 2027. Until then, the daily match stays at $10. As of Nov. 6, 2026.

What it means for you

Starting in January 2027, New York City's Health Bucks program will match SNAP spending on fruits and vegetables at more than 100 farmers markets and farm stands up to $14 a day. The current limit is $10.

Who benefits: New Yorkers on SNAP who shop at participating farmers markets and farm stands; the city expects to give out about $2.3 million in Health Bucks in 2027.

If you use SNAP at a New York City farmers market or farm stand that takes EBT, you get Health Bucks: coupons for fresh fruits and vegetables. For every $2 you spend with your EBT card, you get $2 in Health Bucks. Today the most you can get in one day is $10. Starting in January 2027, the limit rises to $14, which is 40% more.

You don’t sign up separately. Use your EBT card at a participating market or stand and you get the coupons on the spot. Health Bucks work at more than 100 locations around the city, and the city expects to give out about $2.3 million in them in 2027. That money is also spent with local farmers and vendors.

The NYC Health Department has run Health Bucks since 2005 and has given out more than $20 million in coupons. Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the higher limit in October 2026. City money and a new $5.7 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program will pay for it.

FoodLower costs

Where it stands, and how we know

Source for this status, checked November 6, 2026.

Sources

  1. Mayor Mamdani Announces SNAP Users to Receive 40% More Money for Fresh Produce from Local Markets and Farm StandsNYC Office of the Mayor, October 29, 2026
  2. Health BucksNYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
  3. New York City SNAP Participants Will Get Extra Funds for Fresh Produce in 2027City Limits

How we checked this

Drafted by Claude Opus 5.5 (Anthropic) on November 6, 2026. Checked against its sources by GPT-5.6-sol (OpenAI) on November 6, 2026, with no problems found. Confirmed the benefit, timing, figures, funding, attribution, and current status against NYC sources and recent independent reporting. All cited URLs resolve and support the entry.

Spot a mistake? Send a correction and we'll fix it.

Your face here?

Each of them ran for a city council or a state legislature, won, and did work you’ll find on this site. Running is one way in. Serving on a board or working the polls are others.

See where to start

From left: Chi Ossé (D), Bill Stanley (R), and Louise Lucas (D).

From left: Chi Ossé (D), Bill Stanley (R), Louise Lucas (D), Emmett Hanger (R), and Michelle Hinchey (D).

Illustrations from photos.See the photo of Ossé (New York City Council)© New York City Council, used as a drawing reference.See the photo of Stanley (Office of the Governor of Virginia, via Wikimedia Commons)CC BY 4.0.See the photo of Lucas (Senate of Virginia)

Illustrations from photos.See the photo of Ossé (New York City Council)© New York City Council, used as a drawing reference.See the photo of Stanley (Office of the Governor of Virginia, via Wikimedia Commons)CC BY 4.0.See the photo of Lucas (Senate of Virginia)See the photo of Hanger (Senate of Virginia)© Senate of Virginia, used as a drawing reference.See the photo of Hinchey (NY Senate, via Wikimedia Commons)CC BY 2.5.