Tight city budgets were stretched thin during the 35-day partial shutdown, and some officials fear the damaging financial effects will extend beyond the reopening of the federal government.
Cities across the country in recent weeks have stepped in to fill shortfalls left by shuttered federal agencies.
Some, like Washington, D.C., offered no-interest loans or mortgage assistance to furloughed federal workers. Others like New Orleans have said they will waive penalties for late tax or tuition payments.
But the budget strains go beyond the 800,000 government workers who have gone more than month without a paycheck. They also impact those who rely on federal benefits for housing, food and transportation subsidies.
“Our food pantries, the lines have grown significantly,” said New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell (D). “We have to respond to people’s needs in real time.”
A huge portion of city budgets come from the federal government, for everything from the Community Development Block Grant program to Housing and Urban Development funding to pay for apartments for low-income residents and Justice Department grants to fight crime.
