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

Author

Listed:
  • Marianne Bitler
  • Jason Cook
  • Chloe N. East
  • Sonya R. Porter
  • Laura Tiehen

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% over 2 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.

Suggested Citation

  • Marianne Bitler & Jason Cook & Chloe N. East & Sonya R. Porter & Laura Tiehen, 2026. "The Intersection of Place and Need: How Lack of Enrollment Offices Deters Participation in the Safety Net," Tax Policy and the Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 40(1), pages 239-271.
    • Handle: RePEc:ucp:tpolec:doi:10.1086/740384
    DOI: 10.1086/740384
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