NE Iowa News

Howard County saw a 2.3 percent decrease in the number of residents who participated in Iowa's Food Assistance Program from 2020 to 2021, according to a Howard Guide analysis of data from the state's Department of Human Services.

In 2021, 560 recipients (281 households) in Howard County participated in the Program compared to 573 recipients (280 households) in 2020.

Overall, $1,061,168 in food assistance payments were allocated to Howard County recipients in 2021.

In 2020, $714,660 was allocated for Howard County program participants.

Qualified recipients in the Program are eligible to receive financial assistance in the form of Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards, which then can be used to buy groceries. The Program is part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's larger Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Number of Food Assistance Program Participants in Howard County 2012-2021

Year	Number of recipients
2012	988
2013	968
2014	921
2015	776
2016	768
2017	681
2018	614
2019	573
2020	560
2021	563