New York's budget for the needy potentially hindered by possible federal funding freeze, state official says

Amid uncertainty over changes in national spending, a state official said Tuesday that New York’s ability to help struggling residents who depend on certain federally-funded safety net programs could be hindered.

That was the message from Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance Commissioner Barbara Guinn to Island Harvest Food Bank leaders on Tuesday. The visit was designed to highlight Gov. Kathy Hochul's proposed budget items to serve residents in need even as President Donald Trump's administration tries to freeze and revamp federal spending.

A preliminary look at a proposed House budget would add a work requirement to access food benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Guinn said. If enacted, she said, the move would be administratively burdensome and slow access to the program formerly called food stamps.

Officials, she said, are also concerned about the possible elimination of broad-based categorical eligibility. For example, people who receive cash assistance under Temporary Assistance for Needy Families could also be eligible for food assistance benefits. The loss of that category would reduce the number of people who could get SNAP benefits, she said.

And although the state has been focused on building its financial reserves, she said it could not cover a long-term loss of funding. 

"The level of federal investment in safety-net related services is not something that state budgets can make up in the long-term," Guinn said.

Tuesday’s meeting in Melville, which comes amid state and federal budget negotiations, sought to highlight Hochul’s budget proposals that seek in part to increase access to SNAP benefits and school free lunch. 

The Trump administration said it had made the move to pause federal loans and grants to make certain they corresponded with the president’s recent executive orders. The administration has also said the halt would not impact food stamps or other aid given to individuals.

A federal judge temporarily paused the administration's efforts and then extended it on Monday, noting that the change could be "potentially catastrophic" for groups dependent on that funding and may have overstepped Congress’s power, according to Reuters. 

Yet, concern about funding cuts from Congress remains, Guinn said. The federal government has a March 14 deadline to fund the government. The state’s budget is due the following month.

"I think that what was otherwise looking like a pretty smooth budget year could, because of the level of uncertainty, just create things that the legislature and the governor are going to need to attempt to address that they're not otherwise planning to," Guinn said.

At Island Harvest, any potential cuts to funding are concerning, said Randi Shubin Dresner, president and CEO of Island Harvest. On Long Island, the food bank supports more than 220,000 people who are food insecure and gets 11% of its income from the federal government. The remainder comes from grants from corporate foundations, individuals and local communities, she said.

Shubin Dresner said the organization is focusing on adaptability. If it loses federal funding in one area, she said they can cut that one program temporarily and restart it later if the funding is restored. Island Harvest, she said, can also make up for a loss of funding by tapping other resources like a foundation.

"Our mission is to end hunger," she said. "That's our mandate, and so we're poised to do that and to continue to stay on that path."

With AP

By Tiffany Cusaac-Smith

tiffany.cusaac-smith@newsday.com@T_Cusaac

Tiffany Cusaac-Smith is a general assignment reporter for Newsday. She previously worked at USA TODAY and is an alum of Howard University.