NEW YORK, NY –
New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced today, October 30, $15 million in emergency funding for food assistance coupled with an all-hands-on-deck response to prepare for the unprecedented food emergency created by the ongoing federal government shutdown.
As of November 1, nearly 1.8 million New York City residents who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to put food on the table will not receive the federally-funded benefits to which they are entitled.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has not issued any contingency funds to provide for this critical lifeline during the protracted shutdown.
According to a press release by the Mayor’s Office, as of today, $420 million in federal funding provides monthly SNAP benefits to New Yorkers in need, including 540,000 children and more than 540,000 older adults. The New York City Department of Social Services (DSS), the Mayor’s Office of Food Policy (MOFP), and all social services agencies are working in close collaboration to connect impacted New Yorkers to critical resources and shore up the existing safety net to provide for anticipated increases in need as the city uses every tool at its disposal to ensure that no New Yorker goes hungry during this crisis.
Affected New Yorkers should visit the Mayor’s Office of Food Policy website to learn more.
“As a working-class mayor who grew up in a family living on the edge of homelessness and that relied on government assistance, I will always fight for our most vulnerable residents”, said Mayor Adams. “It’s time to put political differences aside and end this shutdown. In the meantime, New York City already allocates approximately $800 million for food services across our different agencies, and we are proud to step up with an additional $15 million in emergency support for our food pantries and providers who are on-the-ground making sure families in need are fed during this time. We are activating all of our social services agencies to ensure they are prepared to contribute where they can, and we urge our philanthropic partners, faith leaders, and community members to contribute even more”.
“In the absence of federal action, our city is stepping up to ensure continued support for the nearly one in five New Yorkers who rely on SNAP benefits,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Suzanne Miles-Gustave.
On top of the $15 million announced today to strengthen the safety net for food-insecure New Yorkers, the city has allocated more than $820 million in this fiscal year for food services programs. This includes:
- $627 million for New York Public Schools food programming.
- $70.6 million for NYC Aging home delivery meal program for older adults.
- $58.6 million for DSS Community Food Connection (CFC).
- $41.8 million for NYC Aging older adult center congregate meals.
- $10 million for the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Groceries to Go program.
- $8.5 million for food pantry funding administered by the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD).
- $4 million for Cornerstone meals for youth in New York City Housing Authority sites administered by DYCD.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that every dollar of SNAP spending generates $1.54, which means that $1 billion in SNAP dollars spent increases the gross domestic product of the United States by $1.54 billion.
