Dave Guarino, one of the three creators of GetCalFresh, says that technocrats’ desire for a comprehensive screener is a misunderstanding of client needs. The way he recommends screening clients instead is very simple: “Made less than $X last month? You may be eligible.”5 As he explains, “Oftentimes people have an acute need that triggers them to go get that specific need met—like food. People just want to know if it’s worth their time to apply.” Given that the burden of applying for even one safety-net program, like SNAP, is often quite high, it defeats the purpose to have clients start with a
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