Household Assets and Food Stamp Program Participation Among Eligible Low-Income Households

Abstract

This study examines the association between asset ownership and Food Stamp Program participation among eligible households using a sample from a longitudinal national survey. This study employs two approaches: a multinomial logit regression on the level of program participation and an event history analysis on the duration of eligible nonparticipation spells. Analysis results show that asset ownership, especially vehicle ownership, is negatively related to program participation, suggesting that asset ownership may reduce the chance that eligible low-income households receive food assistance. It is recommended that program administrators simplify procedures and expand outreach to facilitate program participation among low-income asset owners.