What’s at stake?

Residents enrolled in Fresno County’s Section 8 housing assistance program can expect their rental subsidies to continue to come through for the rest of 2025, even as the government shutdown continues.

The 30,000 Fresno County residents who rely on the largest rental subsidy program in the nation will have one less thing to worry about during the ongoing federal work stoppage — now the second longest in the country’s history. 

The Housing Choice Voucher program, more commonly known as Section 8, will cover rent for enrolled Fresno County residents through the rest of 2025 — even though Congress continues to be in a stalemate on how to shape the federal budget for the next fiscal year. 

The Fresno Housing Authority, the county agency in charge of administering the voucher program locally, told Fresnoland that the news comes in spite of a lack in official communications being sent out amid the shutdown. 

“While HUD has not yet issued a public press release confirming the exact timing of November and December Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) and Administrative Fee funding, reputable industry sources, including the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO), have reported that HUD will obligate those funds later this month,” the Fresno Housing Authority told Fresnoland in a statement over email. 

“Local Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) are being informed that monthly payments are expected to continue as usual pending further congressional action,” they added. 

The National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials is a Washington-based organization that works with housing assistance providers across the country. 

The news comes after the Fresno Housing Authority sent an email to enrolled residents earlier this month that pay was guaranteed for October, but not necessarily in November and December.

“Funding beyond October will depend on congressional action,” the FHA’s letter said. “If the federal government shutdown continues for an extended period, it may affect future payments. Fresno Housing is closely monitoring the situation and will notify you immediately if there are any changes that affect your housing assistance.”

The letter earlier this month left people like Dennis Jeppson, a county resident enrolled in the program, “kind of in the dark” as late as last week about how he would be able to pay rent next month. Though NAHRO had reported about two weeks ago that funding for vouchers would come through, Jeppson found out about the news after Fresnoland called him last week to request a comment for the story. He wished more was done to keep him in the loop on updates.

Jeppson said the letter from the FHA forced him into “savings mode and thinking…you know, just preparing for the worst.”

The voucher program is the biggest rental assistance subsidy in the country, estimated to assist over 5 million people with paying rent every month. In Fresno County, about 30,000 people are enrolled in the program. 

Other federal programs aren’t so lucky amid shutdown

The Housing Choice Voucher program’s continuity is a serving of good news for many, especially since not all federal services are expected to continue as scheduled. 

With no end in sight for the ongoing government shutdown, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, more commonly known as CalFresh or food stamps, is expected to see a delay, if not an outright stoppage, in benefits provided to millions of residents across the country.

Fresno County residents who rely on CalFresh benefits have received alerts warning of potential delays in benefits and payments.

The Central California Food Bank did not respond to requests for comment on this story. 

Jeppson is also enrolled in CalFresh. He said he’s saved enough to be able to weather the storm in the short term. But he said he can only hang on for so long. 

“I have a little bit of money that rolls over every month, so I do have a little bit of a buffer when it comes to EBT benefits and the like,” Jeppson said. “So I can cover November just fine…I’ll still be able to eat. 

“But beyond that, you know, I don’t know.”

Those enrolled in the federal supplemental nutrition program for women, infants and children, known as WIC have also been told to brace for delays amid the government shutdown.

The 2025 U.S. Government Shutdown is now 24 days, placing it as the second longest federal work stoppage in the country’s history. The record for longest shutdown is 35 days. There are no signs of the current shutdown stopping anytime soon. 

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