Panic sets in for New Yorkers as SNAP benefits dry up
SNAP benefits were set to expire on Saturday amid the government shutdown. TOMAS E. GASTON
New Yorkers panicked Saturday as their SNAP benefits officially ran out, bringing the prospect of going hungry into sharp focus for millions as the government shutdown approaches its second month.
Cash-strapped shoppers tried to stretch every dollar as they faced the reality of buying groceries without federal assistance. The shutdown has kept the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, previously known as food stamps, offline after Senate Democrats blocked a government funding bill 13 times in six weeks.
“SNAP is the backbone of the urban bread basket. When you choke that, you choke everything, everybody,” said Shamika Hough, a personal care assistant, as he shopped for his family at E & Y Deli in the Bronx Saturday morning. Sausages and orange juice cost him $28—an added strain on his $500 monthly budget for his family of four and their dog.
Hough, 41, had hoped his benefits would be available for the month, but his balance read zero. “I’m going to the pantry on Wednesday. I went there last week. I get up at 5 a.m. to get a spot, then my wife comes and I go to work. The line is long—it’s around the corner,” he said. He noted that careful rationing of canned foods helps, but the suspension of SNAP has made stretching meals even harder.
The shutdown has left an estimated 42 million people across the U.S., including 3 million in New York and at least 1.75 million in New York City, wondering how they will pay for their next meal.
On Friday, federal judges in Rhode Island and Massachusetts issued temporary orders requiring the Trump administration to continue administering benefits, with Boston U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani calling the suspension “unlawful.” The administration had resisted tapping approximately $5 billion for SNAP, though Democratic officials argued the funds must be used during the shutdown. The administration has not immediately indicated whether it will appeal the orders. Both judges requested progress reports by Monday.
President Trump responded Friday, stating that he had instructed his lawyers to explore “how we can legally fund SNAP as soon as possible,” calling it an “honor to provide the funding.”
Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a “food emergency” across New York Thursday and allocated $65 million to food pantries, soup kitchens, and other emergency food providers.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez launched a fundraiser Saturday to support Elmcor, RAP4Bronx, and City Harvest food pantries, which said they would increase their capacity to assist SNAP beneficiaries.
Tatiana Harris, 38, was headed to a food distribution truck after her $298 in monthly SNAP benefits never arrived. “I don’t have any food at all. I have a dog and no idea what I’m going to do if I have no food for him,” said Harris, who is unemployed and HIV-positive.
Laura Diaz, 45, worried about feeding her 5-year-old son through the winter without SNAP. Receiving $180 a month, she sometimes uses the funds to cover rent and other bills. “I have a growing son. I have to feed him. Right now, I’ll go without to make sure he eats,” said Diaz, who cleans houses for a living.
The SNAP crisis erupted after Democrats refused to drop their demands to extend expiring ObamaCare subsidies. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins condemned the deadlock Friday, saying, “Democrats have instigated a disgusting dereliction of duty unlike anything I have seen in all my years doing this work.”
For those struggling to make ends meet, the shutdown has caused real hardship. “We definitely need it and what they are doing is wrong,” said a 66-year-old senior who asked not to be named, adding that she has only enough savings to last through November.
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