Orange County residents could soon lose their homes due to changes to federal housing programs while many struggle to put food on the table amid a federal government shutdown – one that’s poised to become the longest in the country’s history.

Local food banks are grappling to get funding to keep food on shelves amid what is now the longest federal government shutdown in US history, even after the Trump administration announced they would be distributing partial food stamp benefits after a judge ordered them to. 

“Some of our distributions are seeing twice as many people as they normally do and signing up three times as many new families as they had this time last year,” Second Harvest Food Bank of OC CEO Claudia Bonilla Keller warned Orange County Supervisors Tuesday. 

“We are on the precipice of something that we don’t know how long it’s going to last.”

At the same time, Orange County Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento raised concerns that many of the people they recently helped out of homelessness could soon be put back on the street amid changes to a federal housing program called Continuum of Care. 

County Food Banks Struggle to Keep Up with Demand

Volunteers pack food boxes on Nov. 19, 2020 outside Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County in Irvine. Some volunteers are from the Anaheim Ducks organization. Credit: HOSAM ELATTAR, Voice of OC

Keller said the food banks and pantries are now having to dip into food and funding they had slotted for November and early December to meet today’s demand.

“Should this crisis be solved in the coming weeks, which I’m praying to God they are, we will be in a hole at that time because we have not received any kind of funding in addition for this emergency,” she said.

Food bank and pantry leaders have previously reported that the winter holiday season is their busiest time of the year.

As of August, over 300,000 people in Orange County – roughly 10% of the population – are enrolled in the CalFresh food assistance program, according to the California Department of Social Services.

Despite partial food stamp funding expected to resume, it remains unclear when the benefits show up or how much money will come, with Trump announcing on TruthSocial Tuesday morning that he would not reopen the full benefits until the end of the government shutdown. 

“SNAP BENEFITS, which increased by Billions and Billions of Dollars (MANY FOLD!) during Crooked Joe Biden’s disastrous term in office (Due to the fact that they were haphazardly “handed” to anyone for the asking, as opposed to just those in need, which is the purpose of SNAP!), will be given only when the Radical Left Democrats open up government, which they can easily do, and not before!” Trump wrote.  

Recently, Alameda County and Los Angeles County Supervisors each allocated $10 million to food assistance with the bulk of the money supporting local food banks there amid the federal government shutdown in the last week.

Sarmiento said the CalOptima board members will consider on Thursday allocating $1 million to Second Harvest Food Bank and $1 million to Community Action Partnership of Orange County – which runs the OC Food Bank.

The CalOptima board will also discuss at their 2 p.m. meeting on Thursday allocating $5 million to provide $25 flex cards to their members also enrolled in CalFresh – more commonly known as food stamps.

On Tuesday, supervisors voted unanimously to let Sarmiento send $30,000 of his district discretionary funds to the Friendly Center to help feed residents, with Sarmiento noting they should discuss sending more money in the future. 

Will the Shutdown Impact the Future of Housing?

Attendees gather outside the board hearing room during the May 20, 2025 Orange County Board of Supervisors meeting on May 20, 2025. Credit: ERIKA TAYLOR, Voice of OC

Sarmiento also brought up concerns about changes to the federal government’s Continuum of Care program, one of the sources of funding for homeless prevention the county draws on. 

Under a new proposal from the Trump administration, the county’s spending on permanent supportive housing through that program would now be capped at 30%, according to a post from the National Association of Counties. 

“As it stands, PSH services represent roughly 87 percent of the (Continuum of Care) program’s spending,” wrote association staff. 

That means many of the county’s existing housing projects aimed at helping residents who recently got out of homelessness could lose their funding. 

“The proposed federal change would cap the (Homeless Housing Assistance and Prevention Program) funding for permanent housing at 30% which would substantially limit the funding available to help formerly homeless households that remain stably housed at this moment,” Sarmiento said. 

Right now, that funding has gone to over 1,400 people in Orange County, according to Sarmiento, who noted the program gave out $33 million last year alone. 

“We know many of our folks who are going to struggle are veterans,” Sarmiento said, referencing the supervisors’ earlier acknowledgement of the upcoming Veterans Day. “This reduction poses a serious risk of housing instability for hundreds of Orange County households who have already exited homelessness.” 

There are also concerns that many of the programs’ grants could run out in January 2026, and it’s unclear when or if those grants could be extended. 

A Government Shutdown, An Immigration Crackdown and a Food Cliff

United Across Borders Foundation food bank volunteers scoop rice into bags on June 18, 2025 in Santa Ana. The bags of foods will be delivered to families, many who are undocumented. Credit: JULIE LEOPO, Voice of OC

The need for food in Orange County has remained high since the government mandated shutdowns during the pandemic, kept elevated by expensive inflation costs and an abrupt loss of public COVID-19 food assistance benefits – what food banks leaders call a food cliff.

Amid that elevated need, food banks, pantries and nonprofit leaders are adapting their models to help immigrant families impacted by widespread deportation sweeps.

[Read: Feeding Orange County Families Amid a Federal Immigration Crackdown]

The federal government shutdown comes as Orange County Social Services Agency leaders and food bank leaders have been pushing for people to enroll in CalFresh to help them address hunger in the county.

Undocumented residents aren’t eligible for CalFresh food benefits.

Meanwhile, OC Supervisor Chair Doug Chaffee will be hosting a Drive-Thru Thanksgiving food distribution in partnership with United Across Borders and ICNA Relief to give out fruit and vegetable boxes as well as $25 grocery gift cards on Nov. 22 at the Fullerton Free Church from 9 a.m. to noon.

“Food insecurity is a huge problem and we want to do everything we can to make that better in the county,” Chaffee said.

Sarmiento said Tuesday that it was unclear when funding for food assistance would resume – calling it a challenging moment in time.

“We all need to lean into this moment,” Sarmiento said. 

“We don’t know how long this is going to last.”

Hosam Elattar is a Voice of OC reporter. Contact him at helattar@voiceofoc.org or on Twitter @ElattarHosam.

Noah Biesiada is a Voice of OC reporter. Contact him at nbiesiada@voiceofoc.org.

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