Cleveland, OH – Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish formally submitted a letter to Governor Kasich requesting that his administration seek and accept food stamp waivers for communities in Cuyahoga County that are eligible under federal rules..

“Food security is a major concern within our County,” said Budish. “Many families only have access to food through the food stamp program. Numerous leaders have expressed their concerns on this issue, which is not just a concern locally, but statewide as well.”

In the past two years, the state government, which requests those waivers, did so for more than a dozen counties, all rural, but did not include cities and other counties that also met the criteria. More than 70 percent of the Ohioans who lost food aid during that time were people living in or near urban areas, according to the non-profit research group Policy Matters Ohio.

Areas where unemployment is 20 percent higher than the national average for two years can ask that the work requirement be waived. Cuyahoga County includes cities with an unemployment rate more than 20% above the national average, including the City of Cleveland.