(Hartford, CT) As the federal shutdown nears the one-month mark, one third of Connecticut’s community nonprofits recently surveyed, who provide a wide range of human service programs across the state, report losses or delays in funding that are forcing hiring freezes, elimination of staff and reduction in services, according the CT Community Nonprofit Alliance.
The losses are a mix of delayed funding due to the federal shutdown and funding cuts that were included in the mega-budget bill (HR1) passed by Congress earlier this year, according to the Alliance.
“As the federal shutdown drags on and the provisions of HR1 begin to take effect, we expect these numbers to increase and the impact to be more severe. This is just the tip of the iceberg,” Alliance President & CEO Gian Carl Casa said. “As lawmakers consider a plan to set aside funds to fill the gaps created in federal funding, they must include community nonprofits.”
The disruptions impact multiple federal programs and funding streams, including the Drug-Free Communities (DFC) program, State Opioid Response (SOR) grants, The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHC), AmeriCorps, HUD, and congressionally directed spending (earmarks). Many people served by nonprofits are dependent on SNAP to feed their families.
The survey included responses from 72 health and human services providers. Of the total, 33 percent said they had experienced loss or delay in funding. Of those, 54 percent said they lost funding; 69 percent said funding is delayed, and 44 percent said they had reduced or eliminated programs.
“Community nonprofits serve some of the most vulnerable people in our state. Their needs don’t go away just because the funding does, or the funding is delayed,” Casa said. “Cutting or delaying funding for programs that save and sustain lives will be devastating. Connecticut is a state with a big heart, a big surplus and bipartisan support for nonprofit services. We have the ability to look to help while the feds turn their back.”
###