Due to the current federal government shutdown, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for November may not be issued. As of the writing of this, the shutdown continues.

According to Hamilton County Job & Family Services:

• Approximately 97,000 recipients could be affected in Hamilton County.
• That’s 52,936 adults and 43,673 children.
• That totals about $19.1 million in SNAP benefits each month across our county.

Why this matters for people living paycheck to paycheck

When someone is living paycheck to paycheck, even a small disruption in income or support can cause cascading effects. 

For many households, SNAP is not just a “nice to have” but a critical part of making ends meet—covering food costs so that other bills (rent, utilities, transportation, medical) can be paid.

If SNAP benefits are paused or delayed, families may have to shift dollars from other fixed expenses to cover food—meaning rent or housing costs may be at greater risk.

Reduced food support means less buffer for unexpected expenses (car repair, medical copays, lost work hours). With little to no cushion, housing payment or utility bills might go unpaid, increasing the risk of eviction or utility shut offs.

And you know in a high-cost housing market, even one missed rent payment can trigger late fees, landlord notices, and ultimately threaten housing stability.

Here’s how the SNAP pause could ripple into housing issues for our community:

• Families who rely on SNAP are likely already under tight budget constraints. If benefits stop, they may have to make difficult trade-offs—less groceries, more deferred expenses.
• Those trade-offs often hit housing: fewer grocery dollars may mean using money earmarked for rent or utilities.
• A missed rent payment could trigger eviction proceedings.

If that happens, shelters and homeless services may see increased demand—if food assistance drops, more people may turn to emergency housing support, which adds pressure on the entire system.

Likewise, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program, which offers nutrition assistance, breastfeeding support, and healthy-food benefits to low-income pregnant women, new mothers, infants and children under age 5, is facing serious uncertainty.

This can result in delays or reductions in benefit issuance, potential pauses in new enrollments, and increased insecurity among families who rely on WIC for food, formula, and nutrition support.

Late Thursday, Governor DeWine signed an executive order directing the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) to give $7 million to various Ohio food banks and up to $18 million in emergency relief benefits to more than 63,000 Ohioans. (Approximately 1.4 million Ohioans receive a total of $264 million in food benefits from SNAP each month). 

The bottom line

Any disruption or change to this vital benefit is impacting people across the country. For our neighbors who depend on SNAP, a pause in benefits isn’t just about losing groceries. It can easily jeopardize their stable housing.