NEW YORK CITY (PIX11) — With a government shutdown looming, New Yorkers could soon see key programs affected.
Federal lawmakers are currently at a standstill on budget negotiations as Democrats call for guardrails on Immigration and Customs Enforcement. If they don’t reach some agreement by Friday at midnight, it’ll trigger a partial government shutdown.
What services could be affected in New York City?
The biggest concerns for New York City are its tens of thousands of federal employees and Section 8 housing choice vouchers, according to Comptroller Mark Levine.
“For a city that depends on Section 8 for so much housing, very worrisome to have that potentially disrupted,” Levine said. “It’s the chaos and the uncertainty for families and for the economy and for people who do business here,” Levine said.
During the 43-day government shutdown last year, the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) had to delay Section 8 payments to city landlords by roughly one week due to the lack of federal funding.
NYCHA gets its funding for Section 8 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
More: Latest News from Around the Tri-State
How much funding comes from the government?
Federal funds make up 6.4% of the city’s 2026 spending, and the city has over 46,000 federal employees, according to state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. All of these people could be out of a salary.
“That’s hardship for them, but also, they’re part of the economy and that’s money lost in restaurants and stores and entertainment venues,” Levine said.
The city receives $10 billion in federal grants per year, which could be delayed should federal staff be furloughed. The city’s parks could also be closed, though the state can step in to keep them open.
Will SNAP be protected this time?
It comes on the heels of the largest government shutdown in history, largely felt through the pause of SNAP funding. Roughly 240,000 New York City residents and as many as 3 million New Yorkers rely on SNAP benefits.
The last shutdown left states scrambling to figure out how to pay for SNAP and whether to fund it partially, fully, or not at all.
SNAP funds should be protected this time around.
“Some of the worst impacts we felt last time have been averted,” Levine said.
Despite the uncertainty for New Yorkers, Levine said he is supportive of the Democrats’ efforts to rein in ICE’s tactics.
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