Update on Federal Government Shutdown - 10/24

[Anthony D'Isidoro]

Services that will continue 

·                Core Federal Benefits: Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Veterans Affairs benefits, and the Postal Service will continue uninterrupted as mandatory or self-funded programs. 

·                Public Safety and National Security: Military, national security, and federal law enforcement (FBI, DEA, Border Patrol) remain active, though many personnel are working unpaid. 

·                Transportation and Travel: Air travel continues at Logan Airport and regional airports with TSA officers and air traffic controllers on duty, though delays may increase if the shutdown persists. 

·                Emergency and Disaster Response: FEMA continues active disaster operations but has paused new grants and reimbursements. 

·                Education and Health Programs: Federal student aid (Pell Grants, student loans) and state-supported programs such as MassHealth, public schools, police, fire, and transit services continue under state or prior-year funding. 

 

Services Losing Funding After November 1 

(Programs reliant on annual appropriations that will face interruptions early November) 

·                SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program): 

o        Over 1 million Massachusetts residents depend on SNAP, totaling about $240 million in monthly benefits. 

o        Without appropriations, payments will stop after November 1, leaving no state mechanism to replace lost funds. 

o        Food banks such as the Greater Boston Food Bank are preparing for sharp increases in demand. 

·                WIC (Women, Infants & Children): 

o        Serves about 90,000 residents statewide. 

o        Funds will run out within 1–2 weeks after November 1; temporary national transfers only provide a short extension. 

·                Head Start: 

o        Supports 12,000 low-income preschoolers in Massachusetts. 

o        Grant renewals freeze November 1, risking closures in Springfield, Lawrence, Fall River, and many other communities. 

o        Program disruptions will affect childcare, nutrition, and developmental services. 

·                Fuel Assistance (LIHEAP): 

o        Massachusetts’ federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program will pause new funding after November 1 if the shutdown continues. 

o        Local agencies, such as ABCD, warn that applications may be delayed or frozen, risking shortfalls by mid-November and leaving thousands of low-income and elderly residents without heating support. 

 

Services That Will Not Continue 

(Programs and operations suspended until funding resumes) 

·                Small Business Administration: New loans and guarantees paused, limiting credit access for small businesses and contractors. 

·                Fisheries & Agriculture: NOAA and USDA loan programs, permits, and data collection halted—affecting farmers and fisheries’ planning and exports. 

·                Federal Research & Grants: New funding from NIH, NSF, and DOE paused; major institutions (UMass, MIT, Harvard, Mass General) report project delays. 

·                Tourism & Parks: Cape Cod National Seashore and Boston National Historical Park closed or minimally staffed, reducing tourism revenue. 

·                Immigration and Visa Processing: Significant delays for international students, researchers, and workers in higher-education and biotech sectors. 

·                Federal Data and Operations: Census Bureau, BLS, and USDA market reporting remain shut down, halting key data used for planning and forecasting. 

·                Federal Workforce: Thousands of Massachusetts federal employees remain furloughed without guaranteed back pay, reducing local economic activity statewide. 

[Anthony D'Isidoro]

Hello Everyone,

I fully agree that housing should be at the top of the list when it comes to evaluating surplus city property. (Ordinance Attached)

However, the highest and best use locally and citywide should definitely factor into the disposition of land as well.

 For example, a brand-new Allston Brighton Community Center most likely will only be economically feasible if constructed on surplus city property. A mixed use of housing above the new Allston Brighton Community Center should always be a consideration.

Other uses to consider:

Addiction Services, Homeless Care

Arts & Culture Rehearsal and Gallery Space

Centers for Independent Living

Community Centers

Community Health Centers

Family Child Care Services

Libraries

Parks, Recreation and Sustainability

Police, Fire, EMS

Public Works Facilities

Schools

Senior Centers

Veterans Service Centers

Tony

_______________________________________________________________________

Boston Housing Crisis: New law prioritizes converting city property into affordable homes (John L. Micek, MassLive: October. 22, 2025)

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu (C) surrounded by members of City Council 

and advocates signs a new city ordinance that prioritizes turning surplus 

city property into affordable housing. Wu signed the ordinance during a 

news conference at City Hall on Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025.John L. Micek/MassLive

It’s been more than a year since The Pryde opened its doors in Boston’s Hyde Park neighborhood. And in that time, the former school building has become more than just an affordable housing option for older LGBTQ+ adults.

It’s become “the heart of Hyde Park," Boston City Councilmember Enrique J. Pepén, who represents the neighborhood at City Hall, said.

“And the fact that used to be a school? And we took the opportunity to make that into affordable housing for our residents? That’s what we need to be doing across the city," Pepén continued.

Bostonians could soon see more projects like The Pryde popping up across the city under a new ordinance that prioritizes converting surplus city property into affordable housing.

Flanked by advocates, Pepén, and other members of the City Council, Mayor Michelle Wu signed the language into law during a news conference at City Hall on Wednesday.

She positioned the ordinance as part of her administration’s ongoing effort to “[make] Boston a home for everyone.”

“Everything that we do, every investment that we make, every policy choice that we make is intended to root families in Boston and make sure that our families are also at home in every part of the city with access to every opportunity,” the Democratic mayor said.

Boston City Council President Ruthzee Louijeune speaks during a news 

conference at City Hall on Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025.John L. Micek/MassLive

Boston City Council President Ruthzee Louijeune, who helped shepherd the language through the legislative body, reflected on a conversation that she and Pepén had with students at her alma mater, Boston Latin School, earlier in the day.

Those students, who still lived at home with their parents, told the two city pols that they were worried about being able to afford to live in their hometown when the day came.

The new ordinance would go some distance toward making that possible, Louijeune said.

“We have a responsibility to respond and to do the work of responding to our young people who are worried about whether they have a future in this city,” Louijeune said.

While the ordinance codifies it, city officials have already done some of that work, Wu said.

She pointed to the “long overdue” construction of the Boston Public Library’s Chinatown branch, which is slated to include 110 new affordable housing units on the floors above.

“We’re excited to do the same with upcoming renovations to the Uphams Corner and West End branch libraries,” Wu said

The city also recently held a ribbon-cutting for a former police station in Mattapan that now includes 40 rental and owner-occupied units.

With space at a premium, city and state officials alike have looked to surplus property to help ease Massachusetts’s ongoing housing crisis.

Gov. Maura Healey announced in August that she’d freed up 450 acres of unused state land, all the better to build as many as 3,500 new housing units statewide.

A 2024 report card by the Boston Foundation, Boston Indicators and Boston University’s Initiative on Cities found that vacant public land could hold the keys to the construction of tens of thousands of new housing units.

“In a state facing a housing shortage of 200,000 homes by 2030, this utilization of public land in the Greater Boston Area has incredible potential,” the researchers wrote. “At higher densities, or with greater utilization of this vacant land, far more units could be built as well.”

Former City Councilmember Tito Jackson, who also worked on the issue, said much the same on Wednesday, observing that “we are not making any more land that I know of.”

With that in mind, the new ordinance is an opportunity to “align our values with our valuables in the city of Boston,” Jackson said.

Gretchen Van Ness, the executive director of LGBTQ Senior Housing Inc., which spearheaded The Pryde development, had some short and simple advice for city officials and her fellow advocates.

“All I can say is let’s do this,” she quipped. “Let’s do this everywhere.”

[Anthony D'Isidoro]

Harvards Fall Fest
Harvard Athletics, Food Truck Festivals of America
Saturday, November 1, 2025, 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
65 N Harvard St, Boston

🎉 TOUCHDOWN FOR YOUR TASTE BUDS! 🎉
Hey Boston! This fall, we’re teaming up with Harvard’s Fall Fest for one epic Saturday at Harvard Stadium — and you’re invited!
🗓️ Saturday, November 1, 2025
🕛 Parking Opens: 12 PM | Gates Open: 1 PM | 🏈 Kickoff: 3 PM
🎟️ Just $15 (plus fees) for food fest access & the Harvard Homecoming Game v Dartmouth!
🍔 What’s On the Menu?
Feast from a lineup of fan-favorite food trucks, including:
Alabama BBQ
Berrysweets
Cap'n Mike's Tiki Fleet
Cousins Maine Lobster
Crepe Shop
Egg Roll Evolution
Piesons Pizza
Richie's Concessions
Say Cheese
Tandoor and Curry on Wheels
Trolley Dogs
Wanderlust Global Food
🛍️ Shop the Artisan Market
Browse local crafters & creators like:
Adult and Teen Challenge
Beer Can Candle Co
Boston Brisket Works
Coastal Chimes by Molly
Dancing Rose Designs
Ellie's Licorice Ropes
EVOL-EYE co.
Frankie’s Mercantile
Keepsake Charm Bar
La Folie Press
Linked Permanent Jewelry
Lunasea Jewelry
Murph Cutting Boards
Our Cheery Corner
Refugee Protection International - RPI
Simply the Best by Nicole
Soldier Solutions LLC
The Davis Limited Jewelry Collection
Ultra Dzolik LLC
WbyL
🎶 Live music, lawn games & fall fun for all ages
🍻 Craft beverages on hand
🧺 Bring your friends, your lawn chairs, and your appetite!
🚫 Sorry—no dogs allowed
🌧️ Rain or shine, we’re rollin’!
📲 Tickets & details:
https://www.gofevo.com/event/Foodtruckfest
💻 https://www.foodtruckfestivalsofamerica.com/cambridge-ma
📲 Be sure to click “Interested” or “Goin’” so you don’t miss new truck drops, giveaways, or updates!
Follow @FTFofAmerica on Instagram, Threads, TikTok, X, and Facebook.
#FTFA #HarvardFallFest #BostonFoodies #FoodTruckFestival #HomecomingEats #FallVibes2025

[Anthony D'Isidoro]

Hello Everyone,

 

Come this Saturday, an estimated 1.1 million Massachusetts families (one in seven residents) are expected to lose public food assistance benefits due to the ongoing federal government shutdown.

 

Of those, 32% are children, 26% are seniors and 31% are people with disabilities.

 

That includes close to 138,523 clients (21% of population) Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients living in the city of Boston.

 

The United Way of Mass Bay’s United Response Fund was established to rapidly provide resources to mitigate impacts from federal delays in SNAP benefits.  Project Bread's FoodSource Hotline is another good resource.

 

And here’s a list of food pantries in our community that need your financial support to meet this moment.

 

Let everyone know if there are other local pantries I’ve missed, or about any efforts you’re organizing to help.

 

Allston/Brighton Neighborhood Opportunity Center

https://bostonabcd.org/location/allston-brighton-noc/

 

Allston Brighton Food Pantry

https://abfoodpantry.com/

 

Tifereth Raphael Kosher Food Pantry

https://www.tiferethraphael.com/

 

Allston-Brighton APAC Food Pantry

https://www.foodhelpline.org/resources/allston-brighton-apac

 

West End House Boys and Girls Club

https://westendhouse.org/

 

Tony

[Anthony D'Isidoro]

Honan Allston Branch of the Boston Public Library

Join us for a fun and spooky showing of Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)! This classic stop-motion animated musical follows the residents of Halloween Town as they try to take over Christmas. Light refreshments will be served.

No registration is required.

Run time: 1 hour 16 minutes. Rated PG for some scary imagery.

[Anthony D'Isidoro]

Brighton Branch of the Boston Public Library

Come one, come all (ages 1-5) to a performance of Grumpkin by Nicola Edwards (illustrated by Sian Roberts) by the VBS Magical Players from the Veronica B Smith Multi Services Senior Center this upcoming Wednesday! Following the performance will be an activity for the children to participate in as well.