If you live in Monroe and get help with food or rent, there are some big new rules starting this month. Some rules are about what you can buy at the store, and others are about how long you can get help.
New Shopping Rules: What’s In and What’s Out
Starting February 18, 2026, your SNAP card (food stamps) will work differently at grocery stores like Walmart, Brookshire’s, and Super 1 Foods.
- The “No” List: You cannot use food stamps to buy soda, energy drinks, or candy. This includes things like M&Ms, Snickers, and even chewing gum. If you have these in your cart, the card machine will say “no.” You will have to pay for those items with your own cash.
- The “Yes” List: To help families, the government is now allowing you to buy hot rotisserie chickens. In the past, you could only buy cold food. Now, if you are tired after work, you can pick up a hot chicken for a quick, healthy dinner.
Working and Volunteering to Keep Help
The rules for working have changed for people between 18 and 64 years old.
- The 20-Hour Rule: If you are an adult without young children at home, you must work or volunteer for 20 hours every week (or 80 hours a month).
- Volunteering Counts: If you can’t find a paid job, you can volunteer! You can help out at the local food bank, Salvation Army, Boys and Girls Clubs, registered and recognized non-profits such as “The Black Tie Guys” or BK Mentoring, or a school in Monroe. As long as you get a leader to sign a paper showing your hours, it counts as “work.”
- Public Housing Rules: If you live in a public housing building, you usually have to do 8 hours of community service every month to stay in good standing.
Is There a 2-Year Limit for Housing?
You may have heard a rumor that people can only stay on Section 8 for two years. Here is the truth:
There is a new plan in Washington D.C. called the ROAD to Housing Act. It suggests that some people should only get housing help for a few years while they find a better job. However, this is not a law for everyone yet, but they are working on it.
In Monroe, you are not being kicked out just because two years have passed. But new rules will probably make it feel like it because your minimum rent will begin to increase more if your income has increased, and the Housing Authority will check your income and your work hours more frequently. If you are not following the work or volunteer rules, you could lose your help.
Who Doesn’t Have to Worry?
These new work and shopping rules are not for everyone. You are exempt (you don’t have to follow them) if:
- You are 65 years old or older.
- You have a disability, or a doctor says you cannot work.
- You are a parent caring for a child under 14 years old.
What Should You Do Now?
- Check Your Cart: Before you get to the checkout line, make sure you have cash for your soda or candy.
- Track Your Hours: if you are volunteering, keep a notebook with the dates and the name of the person who saw you working.
- Visit the Office: If you have questions, go to the Monroe Housing Authority at 210 Harrison Street. They can help you understand your specific case.
