The federal government shutdown, now a month in, has meant people are out of work and missing pay. On top of that, food assistance benefits are expected to lapse this weekend and it’s unclear if or when they might be restored.
Some Southern Indiana community leaders say some people trying to get into stable housing are running into obstacles because much of the federal government isn’t operating.
Jim Moon, executive director at homeless shelter Catalyst Rescue Mission, said last week staff had been unable to get benefit award letters from the local Social Security office for several clients. The letters show income from benefits like Social Security and disability, which prospective tenants need to apply for subsidized housing.
Moon shared the story of a person who’s been waiting for an apartment to open up at the Jeffersonville Housing Authority.
“They’ve actually called them and said, ‘Hey, we have an apartment that's opening for you, we just need your awards letter,’” Moon said last week. “And they can’t get it.”
He said Catalyst staff have also had issues getting the income verification through an online portal.
Social Security Administration representatives confirmed this week that the award letters are not being sent out during shutdown.
Darnell Jackson, executive director at the Jeffersonville Housing Authority, said that’s been the biggest challenge so far: not getting income verification.
Prospective tenants usually join waitlists when they’re open. Then, when an apartment becomes available, they have two weeks to provide documentation like proof of income to show they’re eligible for subsidized housing.
He said he’s heard some people haven’t been able to get those updated letters.
Jackson said the housing authority will work with people, like by accepting older awards letters if the applicant can’t get a new one due to the shutdown, to keep the process rolling.
“We're going to do all we can, because, you know, typically public housing is…housing of last resort,” he said. “So if they can't get in here, then we're talking about increasing the level of homelessness in our communities.”
He encouraged people to contact the Jeffersonville Housing Authority even if they think they don’t have everything they need.
Courtney Lewis, director of community engagement at the New Albany Housing Authority, said Thursday the agency hasn't seen problems like that so far. Clients who initially presented older awards letters were later able to prove their income with an updated letter or through the online portal, she said.
SNAP fears
Two federal judges ruled on the SNAP issue Friday. One said the Trump administration must fund the program with emergency monies and asked for an update by Monday. Another gave the administration until Monday to say whether it would use contingency funds for partial payment to SNAP or fund it fully with other sources.
Ahead of those rulings, local advocates said they worried what the lapse would mean for people already stretched thin.
Leslea Townsend-Cronin, director at the Homeless Coalition of Southern Indiana, said people may have to choose between paying for food or housing.
“People truly aren't going to be able to pay their rents,” she said. “So I fear that …if landlords don't have some grace, that we're going to be seeing some mass evictions.”
She said she and other local nonprofit leaders are drafting a letter asking for compassion from landlords.
Moon, the shelter director, said he worries about this, too. Almost all the residents who live at Catalyst Rescue Mission receive SNAP, but it still may not be able to reach everyone with the two meals it offers every day.
There’s also the question of how having to spend more on food will affect Catalyst clients who waited months to get subsidized housing. Moon said his staff helped nearly 150 people in the last two years get into housing.
In New Albany, Lewis said if people who live in New Albany Housing Authority properties lose SNAP benefits and that makes it harder for them to pay rent, they should talk with their property manager.
“We have incredibly empathetic property managers and we don’t want to see anyone get evicted for nonpayment,” she said. “So anything we can do to help, we absolutely do our best to help.”
Jeffersonville Housing Authority executive director Jackson said his staff will work with people, too.
He said he hopes the federal government reopens soon. The longer the shutdown extends, the more pressure people will face in choosing between paying for food, rent, utilities and medical bills.
“The shutdown is having human casualties,” he said, “human impact and negative outcomes.”
He worries about the future for people who may have already been facing difficult situations.
“I think the biggest concern is, where do our residents go from here?” he said.
He lamented that people in need can’t be sure they’ll get food assistance.
Coverage of Southern Indiana is funded, in part, by Samtec Inc., the Hazel & Walter T. Bales Foundation, and the Caesars Foundation of Floyd County.
