Though the government shutdown is over, the Montgomery County Council moved forward to pass a $7.75 million plan Tuesday to help address the loss of federal funding for programs that provide food and housing assistance.

“Even with the shutdown ended, we are still faced with the frightening reality that the [Trump] administration is and will continue to be ruthless in its decision making, aimed at causing the most harm to those who need the most help,” Council President Kate Stewart said Tuesday.

Federal funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, ran out on Nov. 1 due to the government shutdown, which ended Nov. 12 — marking the longest shutdown in United States history at 43 days. The county’s plan was inspired by the loss of food assistance during the shutdown, as well as prior cuts to nonprofit grants by the Trump administration.

There were nearly 70,000 people in Montgomery County, the state’s largest county, relying on the program in March, according to the Montgomery County Food Council. Statewide, 680,000 people, 40% of whom are children, rely on SNAP.

The council voted unanimously to pass the supplement, with support from County Executive Marc Elrich, following a public hearing on Tuesday.

John Ross, director of Nourishing Bethesda, a food pantry that serves 8,000 people a month, said the organization is seeing record numbers of clients.

“We here in Montgomery County are right in the midst of a perfect storm … the layoffs, the economic disruption trickling down to the hourly wage workers who are only one paycheck away from disaster,” Ross said. “This is not going away just because the federal government opened again.”

The plan addresses five areas of need:

• $3.5 million in food assistance for nonprofits that provide groceries and meals to residents in need.
• $2.25 million for nonprofit grants ($1.5 million to offset canceled or delayed federal funds and $750,000 for other assistance).
• $1 million toward the county’s Short-Term Housing and Resolution Program.
• $500,000 for the MoCo Pride Center to fund LGBTQIA+ services.
• $500,000 for local business development and expansion.

The funding comes from the county’s budget reserves. Stewart said that while it is not possible for the county to fill every gap, the size of the reserves approved by the council in the previous budget cycle allows the council to make this appropriation without cutting into other funding.