The Intersection of Place and Need: How Lack of Enrollment Offices Deters Participation in the Safety Net.

Authors

Marianne Bitler, Jason Cook, Chloe N East, Sonya R Porter, Laura Tiehen

Published in

Tax policy and the economy. Volume 40. Pages 239-271.

Abstract

Take-up of means-tested transfer programs in the United States remains incomplete despite their substantial value to eligible households. We contribute to the literature on determinants of program participation by providing the first causal estimates of how proximity to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) offices affects program participation. Using administrative data on SNAP receipt in a single state linked to geocoded office locations, we exploit quasi-experimental variation from frequent office openings and closings. Event study estimates show that SNAP participation in a census tract decreases following the closure of an office by 7-9 percent over two years, with suggestive evidence of increases in participation following office openings. These effects are concentrated in urban areas and are robust to alternative specifications and tests of endogeneity in changes in office placement.

PMID:
42894840
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 19 Oct 2026.

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