Community professionals across Kentucky will have the opportunity to learn about significant federal changes to safety-net programs through a series of education events designed to help them better understand and communicate these policy shifts to residents they serve. The Kentucky Thrive Roadshow will feature experts discussing updates to federal assistance programs, including new work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Medicaid, along with changes to federal housing programs and eligibility requirements. Upcoming events are scheduled for June 9 in Louisville, July 14 in Corbin and August 18 in Bowling Green, with additional fall dates available through Kentucky Voices for Health. Adrienne Bush, executive director of the Homeless and Housing Coalition of Kentucky, said federal housing program policies and eligibility requirements have changed significantly in recent years. “The roadshows are really trying to examine what are the overall effects of changes to safety-net programs, but then what are the specifics that people may be running into, or that we can kind of share with folks as a heads up,” Bush said. Dustin Pugel, policy director at the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy, explained the audience targeted by the events. “Our audience is primarily people who work in the front lines, so nurses, receptionists, community health workers, social workers, librarians, you name it,” Pugel said. “Occasionally, some educators and clergy too. So it just kind of depends on the community we’re in.” The events come amid significant shifts in federal policy. In April, Kentucky lawmakers overrode Governor Andy Beshear’s veto on House Bill 2, which includes new Medicaid work requirements requiring applicants to demonstrate three months of compliance with work requirements to be eligible for benefits. For SNAP benefits, “able-bodied” adults without dependents between ages 18 and 64 must now work, volunteer or participate in job training for at least 80 hours a month to remain eligible. The stakes are substantial for Kentucky residents. According to the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy, more than 500,000 Kentuckians relied on SNAP to help keep food on the table, while one in three residents rely on Medicaid or the Kentucky Children’s Health Insurance Program for coverage. This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from Public News Service – Kentucky, enriched with 2 web searches. The original source is available at https://app.publicnewsservice.org/story/thrive-kentucky-roadshow-helps-workers-navigate-safety-net-changes/6974db00-effe-4908-b2aa-e957bf93813d. The post Kentucky Thrive Roadshow helps workers navigate safety-net program changes appeared first on The Lexington Times. ...read more read less