As lawmakers and President Donald Trump are unable to come to an agreement about a federal budget and spending priorities to continue funding government activities, the government will shut down as of tomorrow, Wednesday, Oct. 1.
This could have a significant impact on several communities in Virginia, affecting everything from healthcare to jobs to food assistance to housing, particularly if a shutdown lasts longer than a month.
In the event of a shutdown, agencies must stop all activities that are not critical for national security or the protection of lives or property, and the government stops paying employees and contractors. Programs such as Medicare, Social Security, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and the Veterans Health Administration generally continue to operate, but some services are delayed, and this is further complicated if there is a prolonged shutdown, as some services only receive 30 days worth of funding, Time magazine explains.
While shutdowns have happened before, this time the Trump administration has directed federal agencies to lay off workers rather than furlough them, the AP reported. In the past, workers were placed on temporary leave or, in some cases, asked to work without pay until the government reopened, NPR reports.
(Read more about what happens during a government shutdown and what happened in prior shutdowns from The Bipartisan Policy Center, a nonprofit policy and research organization.)
We want to hear from you
So where does this leave central Virginia? More information is below, and we’ll continue to follow these stories as they evolve. But if you or someone you know is impacted, we want to hear from you. There are many ways you can contact us, including anonymous ones. Find more information about getting in touch with us here.
Trump threatens more federal layoffs
Federal layoffs are already hitting Virginia hard, and more could be coming. According to a Virginia Business report, federal layoffs by the Trump administration have been the top driver of job-cut announcements in the state this year. The number of potential layoffs due to a shutdown is unknown (President Trump has said “vast numbers”), but according to a memo from the Office of Management and Budget published by PBS, the Trump administration ordered agencies to consider laying off workers furloughed by the shutdown and whose work is “not consistent with the President’s priorities.”
Further strain on food pantries
During the last shutdown from December 2018 to January 2019, about 800,000 federal workers missed several weeks of pay, leading some to turn to food banks and various nonprofits for assistance, CBS News reported.
Charlottesville food pantries and a local food bank told Charlottesville Tomorrow in September that they are already scrambling to provide for a growing need for their services, citing rising costs of living in the area. They are also concerned about a coming surge in demand if SNAP and Medicaid benefits for Virginians are reduced or delayed.
The tax and spending bill passed in July dubbed the “big, beautiful bill” by President Trump made sweeping changes to SNAP and Medicaid eligibility. The full outcome of that bill is not yet known, but an estimated 310,000 Virginians will lose Medicaid coverage and almost 447,000 Virginians are estimated to lose some or all of their SNAP benefits, according to KFF, an independent health policy research, polling and news organization and Virginia’s Voice for Children, an independent, multi-issue child policy and advocacy organization.
Housing support programs at risk
A shutdown could also affect housing in the area at a time when the unhoused population in Charlottesville is growing and some supportive and affordable housing projects are facing delays due to construction costs, confusion over zoning regulations and funding cuts from Congress.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides housing assistance in multiple ways, including through public housing, the Housing Choice Voucher program, the Emergency Housing Voucher program, rental assistance for homeless veterans and others.
According to a contingency plan for government shutdowns that HUD created in 2023, the agency said that many of HUD’s housing support programs could be paused. That includes monthly assistance for things like public housing, rental vouchers and other housing aid contracts.
HUD told the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials, a group of housing and community development professionals focused on public housing and assisted housing, that public housing payments and Housing Choice Voucher program payments would be paid for October and November in the event of a government shutdown.
More than 1,000 individuals and families use vouchers to pay for their housing in Charlottesville and Albemarle County, according to data from HUD. Read more about how housing vouchers work locally.
Stay safe and take care of each other,
Akash Sinha, Managing Editor
Take action
Contact your federal representatives about the government shutdown
If you want to make your voice heard and reach out to your federal representative about the government shutdown or what you want to see in a new federal budget, find their contact information here.
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