Shutdown Weighs On Low-Income People Who Are One Financial Crisis Away From Homelessness
“This is putting a hurt on all of us. Everything was going along normal until they decided to shut down the government,” said Amanda Neeley, 48, who gets by on a small disability check. “I can’t pay that much; it is beyond my means. It is not fair.” In other shutdown news: biotechs companies, unemployment benefits, and assistance for furloughed workers.
The New York Times:
Shutdown’s Pain Cuts Deep For The Homeless And Other Vulnerable Americans
Ramona Wormley-Mitsis got welcome news in December: After years of waiting, the federal government had approved a subsidy that allowed her to rent a three-bedroom house, bracketed by a white picket fence to keep her two autistic sons from bolting into traffic. A few days later, the dream was deferred. The Department of Housing and Urban Development — one of the federal agencies hit hardest by the shutdown — would not be able to pay her new landlord until the government reopened. (Thrush, 1/21)
WBUR:
Another Shutdown Casualty: Biotech IPOs
The partial government shutdown may be cooling the red-hot market for biotech IPOs — aka initial public offerings on the stock market. The Securities and Exchange Commission said this week that its normal functions are suspended because the agency isn't funded. (Borchers, 1/18)
New Hampshire Public Radio:
Democratic N.H. Lawmakers Consider Legislation To Give Benefits To Furloughed Federal Workers
Senate President Donna Soucy and House Speaker Steve Shurtleff announced on Monday--the 31st day of the partial government shutdown--that they are considering an emergency bill that would permit the state’s Employment Security office to issue unemployment benefits to impacted federal workers. Currently, those residents are not eligible for benefits because they are technically still employed. (Bookman, 1/21)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Supervisor Matt Haney Wants SF To Help Out Federal Workers Who Aren’t Getting Paid
Supervisor Matt Haney is calling on San Francisco to help federal workers affected by the government shutdown by offering free public transportation, deferred payments on utilities and parking tickets, and emergency loan assistance. It’s a long shot for Haney, though, because as a district supervisor, his authority to force largely autonomous city agencies like the Municipal Transportation Agency and the Public Utilities Commission to offer such assistance is limited. (Thadani and Fracassa, 1/21)
