As lawmakers on Capitol Hill remain deadlocked over a week into the current federal government shutdown, residents who rely on important federal programs for nutrition assistance and mortgage loans could be negatively impacted.

The Oct. 1 shutdown resulted from disagreements over healthcare funding, with Democratic legislators wanting to extend tax credits provided to low-income Americans through the Affordable Care Act. Republican lawmakers prefer instead to pass a funding bill first and then discuss healthcare negotiations. Democrats were also opposed to the planned Medicaid cuts that passed as part of the Trump administration’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” act in July, which Republicans argue were necessary to reduce federal deficits and cut waste.

Ultimately, with no funding bill or continuing resolution passed, the federal government entered a shutdown.

“The GOP shutdown will have devastating effects on workers, small businesses and families throughout our state,” said Gov. Kathy Hochul last week in a press release. “Washington Republicans need to do their damn jobs, actually stand up for the people they serve, and come to the table to end this shutdown.”

Initiatives like the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program that provide food to low-income families will have their funding paused, with WIC projected to quickly deplete its remaining funds. WIC provides 450,000 infants, children and pregnant mothers in New York with nutrition services and healthy food. (4) The suspension of this program may result in the loss of necessary aid for these people, according to Rep. Josh Riley, who represents New York’s 19th congressional district.

Applicants for federal housing and small business loans could also face delays, while those in rural areas eligible for mortgages through the U.S. Department of Agriculture will be unable to access loans during the shutdown. If the shutdown persists, Riley warned about delays in the development, rehabilitation and refinancing of homes.

Mayor Jared Kraham said that this shutdown has instilled a sense of uneasiness within the local community.

“You have agencies that can’t respond to emails, you have funding requests and grant programs that are going to be slowed down, and it sends a terrible message for our local economy, for confidence in people making investments,” said Kraham. “And then, practically speaking, things like federal Income Housing Tax Credits, which are really critical to funding affordable housing in Binghamton, get delayed.”

“Governments need to work for the people,” he continued. “These U.S. agencies and our federal tax dollars should not be used as political pawns and should not be used in service of one party over the other.”

Some Binghamton University students have also expressed discontent over the shutdown and concern over the negative impacts many Americans may face.

“This is not a time for lawmakers to play political games,” wrote the BU College Democrats in a statement to Pipe Dream. “Americans, including those living in Binghamton and across New York, rely on measures like the healthcare subsidies provided by the Affordable Care Act to receive critical medical care. Republicans must stop refusing to fund healthcare that Americans need and instead help Democrats pass a bill that will actually help their constituents.”

The College Democrats also emphasized the importance of students staying informed about their congressional representatives’ actions leading up to the 2026 midterm elections.

The shutdown has gone on for over a week, with the solution to the deadlock remaining unclear. The White House website has a stopwatch currently posted to keep track of how long the shutdown has lasted, claiming that “Democrats have shut down the government.”

“We’ve seen gridlock in Washington,” said Kraham. “What we have never seen before is the White House use government agencies that are supposed to represent all of the American people as a political weapon against their opponents. The White House is doing that.”