A historic 43-day federal shutdown delayed food benefit payments for 1.8 million New Yorkers ahead of Thanksgiving —and few neighborhoods felt the pinch as acutely as Central Harlem.
Central Harlem has one of the highest rates of food insecurity in the city. Nearly 26% of residents don’t have reliable access to enough food to meet their needs. Nearly one in four households depends on food stamps, now known as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits, according to the Hunter College New York City Food Policy Center.
Even after the shutdown ended on Nov. 12, and SNAP benefits resumed, many residents said it revealed just how vulnerable the neighborhood remains…