Local and state lawmakers are raising alarms as the government shutdown enters its 31st day, leaving vital food-assistance benefits set to expire Nov. 1 — a crisis that could leave millions of New Yorkers struggling to put food on the table.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which benefits 42 million Americans — including 1.8 million low-income New Yorkers — is set to expire Saturday, putting families at risk of going without food. According to state statistics, most SNAP recipients are children, the elderly or people with disabilities. In Brooklyn alone, more than 700,000 residents rely on the program.
