Federal shutdown in Georgia: housing, food stamps and public health affected
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Critical federal programs in Georgia that feed children living in poverty, research diseases and keep people housed are counting down until the government shutdown ends.
Why it matters: Approximately 110,900 federal employees could be affected by the shutdown, according to the Georgia Department of Labor.
Here's how the halt of important government services is rippling through metro Atlanta and Georgia:
Public housing: 98% of Atlanta Housing's budget, which includes funding to pay landlords to rent to people living on low incomes, comes from the federal government.
- An Atlanta Housing spokesperson told Axios the agency expects to "sustain near-term operations" like housing assistance and internal operations.
Food stamps: A state Department of Human Services spokesperson told 11 Alive that Georgia's roughly 1.4 million SNAP recipients would not receive November benefits until the shutdown ended and funds are released.
Public health: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention blamed the shutdown for the recent terminations of 1,300 employees.
- Shortly afterward, agency officials told 700 employees their terminations were rescinded after their firings were issued in error.
Children: Roughly 6,400 Georgia children living in poverty might lose access at the end of the month to Head Start's early learning programs, nutritious meals and health screenings.
- "Certainly, there is a scenario in which families could lose care and we're deeply concerned about that," Mindy Binderman, the executive director of GEEARS, an early leaning advocacy group, told Axios.
Higher education: Georgia Tech told WSB-TV that roughly $100 million a month in federal funding to support research is on hold during the shutdown.
- The school plans to cut expenses and pause new job offers, among other measures.
Parks: The Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park and other National Park Service (NPS) properties remain open and accessible.
- However, expect fewer bathroom cleanings, closed visitor centers, no programming and no NPS staff to answer questions.
Yes, but: Not all services are affected. Federal funding for Georgia Department of Transportation road projects flows from a multiyear trust fund.
- The agency might need to "throttle back" projects if the shutdown drags on, GDOT commissioner Russell McMurry told WSB Radio.
State of play: On Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-South Dakota) told reporters after a White House meeting with President Trump that he hoped "this would be the week we break out of this."
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