Photo Courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office
Mayor de Blasio noted that New Yorkers experiencing hardships can visit nyc.gov/federalshutdownto stay updated on the latest developments and to find a variety of City programs that provide relief.
By Forum Staff
New Yorkers will lose out on $500 million monthly if the federal government shutdown continues past February, Mayor Bill de Blasio warned on Thursday.
The 18,000 federal employees that work at affected agencies in the five boroughs and an unknown number of low-wage federal contractors have felt the real effects of the longest federal government shutdown in history, Hizzoner noted. Millions of residents and their families who rely on various federally funded government programs, such as food stamps, the New York City Housing Authority, school lunch and rental assistance, also are at risk of being affected by the shutdown if it continues into March. At minimum, two million New Yorkers stand to lose these vital programs come March 1, according to de Blasio.
Filling the $500 million void with City funds would be unsustainable, leading the City to run out of money before the end of year, the mayor added.
Programs at risk include:
• Opioids: Some new prescribers have reported experiencing a delay in receiving approval from the DEA to prescribe buprenorphine since the shutdown started. If you are a provider or a patient in need of help, call 311 or (888) NYC-WELL to find a buprenorphine prescriber near you.
• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program/Food Stamps: City residents receive nearly $230 million in federal SNAP benefits per month. Nearly 1.6 million New Yorkers rely on the benefit to feed their families. The federal government has authorized the early release of February SNAP/food stamps benefits.
• Section 8: NYCHA and City Housing Preservation and Development spend $97 million and $34 million in federal dollars per month, respectively, for Section 8. More than 280,000 New Yorkers utilize the program to pay their rent.
• Emergency Solutions Grants: The City receives approximately $1 million in federal funding per month for this program to help fight homelessness.
• The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children: City residents receive $26 million in federal funding for this program. More than 300,000 New Yorkers and their families rely on it for food.
• Continuum of Care: The City spends $5 million in federal dollars per month for this program that provides rental assistance for more than 4,000 homeless New Yorkers.
• New York City Housing Authority: NYCHA spends $79 million per month for operating expenses such as salaries. Approximately 10,000 NYCHA employees will be affected by the government shutdown.
• Housing Opportunities for Persons with Aids: The City receives more than $4 million in federal funding per month for HOPWA. This is the only federal program dedicated to the housing needs of people living with HIV/AIDS.
• School Lunch: The City spends $43 million per month for this program. More than 1 million New York students rely on school lunches.
The City does have a number of resources that may help those experiencing hardships because of the shutdown, the mayor noted. New Yorkers experiencing hardships can visit nyc.gov/federalshutdownto stay updated on the latest developments and to find a variety of City programs that provide relief, including food pantries, employment referrals, landlord mediation, eviction prevention, rental and mortgage arrears assistance, veterans’ services and more.
