With the holidays around the corner, existing food disparities in West Harlem—where nearly half of the population relies on food assistance programs—are now exacerbated by complications with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program installments.
Distribution of SNAP benefits in New York state was paused on Nov. 1 following a lapse in federal funding. The shutdown of this governmental assistance program, more commonly known as food stamps, came weeks into the federal shutdown when President Donald Trump announced that emergency funds would no longer be used to fund SNAP, breaking from prior practice.
In anticipation of the SNAP cuts, Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency in New York on Oct. 30, announcing the allocation of over $100 million in state funds to ensure the 3 million New York residents who rely on SNAP receive some assistance despite the federal shutdown. The state also announced a $65 million fund for emergency food-assistance that will go toward two food nonprofits: the Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program and Nourish New York…