As East Norwalk Looks to Add Grocery Store, SW CT Residents Could Lose Food Access
Residents in East Norwalk could have access to more food, thanks to a new grocery store coming to the area, while SNAP cuts could other residents to lose access to food.
East Norwalk residents have been saying for years that the area needed a community grocery store. Now their wishes are coming true as Key Foods plans to open a grocery store at the former Rite Aid spot, located close to Exit 16 off I-95.
Anthony Pena, who—along with his dad—owns the Key Food store on West Avenue in Norwalk, told the East Norwalk Neighborhood Association at its October meeting that this property was “a very proud acquisition for us.”
“Every day we drove by that Rite Aid and I always thought it would be a good opportunity for us,” he said, noting that his parents have lived in East Norwalk for almost 20 years, and he recently bought a house there as well.
Pena said that they’re looking to bring a “multicultural store,” that they’ll operate with “a discount heart,” to make sure they’re meeting the needs of the community. He said they’ll have hot foods, fresh meats, produce, ethnic items, and some fun extras, like a juice bar and crepes.
“We want to do something really nice, we want to do something to match the area that we love,” he said. “It’s even more valuable to have something you can afford. It’s always going to be fresh and it’s always going to be something you can afford.”
Pena said that he would work with both community members and the city to address some concerns, such as traffic to the site and drainage on the property.
He said the city is reviewing their site plans for the property, but once they’re approved he estimated construction to retrofit the site would take about three to four months, which would allow them to open potentially in early 2026.
“We’re very flexible if you guys are looking for anything in particular, we’re here to cater to whatever the community is looking for,” he said.
Thousands of Residents to Lose SNAP Benefits
While East Norwalk is adding access to food, thousands of residents across lower Fairfield County will be losing access to it, as the cuts to government assistance go into effect on November 1.
The cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, better known as SNAP, were part of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act" that President Donald Trump signed into law on July 4. The bill expanded work requirements and removed exemptions for people who qualified for the program.
A July 2025 report from the Urban Institute stated that these cuts will cause about 5.3 million American families, including 58,000 Connecticut families, to lose at least $25 per month in SNAP benefits. According to a policy report from DataHaven, those Connecticut families will lose an average of $194 in benefits each month.
Using those estimates, DataHaven reported that Connecticut SNAP recipients are “projected to lose approximately $11 million to $15 million in benefits every month.” This also doesn’t factor in the “indirect effects of SNAP,” such as “higher economic activity at local businesses [or] lower future healthcare costs due to improved nutrition,” according to DataHaven’s report.
In our region, DataHaven estimated how many people could face reduced benefits. These include:
- Bridgeport: 5,045 families losing benefits
- Stamford: 1,505 families losing benefits
- Norwalk: 1,071 families losing benefits
- Fairfield: 245 families losing benefits
- Greenwich: 223 families losing benefits
- Westport: 77 families losing benefits
- Darien: 29 families losing benefits
Government Shutdown’s Effect on SNAP
While the “One Big Beautiful Bill” planned to cut SNAP over the next few years, the program is facing a more pressing challenge—the current government shutdown.
The Connecticut Mirror reported on October 22 that the “U.S. Department of Agriculture sent states a memo on Oct. 10 warning “there will be insufficient funds to pay full November … benefits” in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as SNAP.” However, instead of encouraging states to partially fund people’s benefits, the instructions said they should “shut down the Electronic Benefit Transfer or EBT cards that SNAP recipients use to purchase groceries.”
“If the federal shutdown keeps going, SNAP benefits for November will not be sent out,” Connecticut Social Services Commissioner Andrea Barton Reeves wrote, according to The Connecticut Mirror,
Each month, the state distributes about $75 million per month in federal SNAP benefits, with many households receiving about $190, according to The Connecticut Mirror. In addition, SNAP serves an estimated 360,000 people in Connecticut per year, according to state officials.
Resources for Food Access in Lower Fairfield County
We previously reported on food insecurity, access, and innovation across Lower Fairfield County. You can explore our two-part series on food access across southwest Connecticut to find potential resources during this time.
Part 1: The Impact of Food Insecurity and Food Deserts in Lower Fairfield County
