To the editor:

I am very concerned for friends who rely on SNAP, Medicaid and Section 8 housing. Despite being smart, resilient and resourceful people, they are now terrified of losing the minimal level of food security they have now ($2.68/meal), their healthcare and their apartments. The stress is already taking its toll. Many of them have a disability and multiple health issues. As you can imagine, the One Big Beautiful Bill’s new requirements for long-form reporting, tight deadlines, trips to social services and needing to report more often are especially challenging for them.

While I worry about them, they worry about neighbors who have the added problem of understanding the forms and the new requirements. Meanwhile, the official government guidance is confusing, and social services are likely to be swamped by their own new work requirements, making them potentially less likely to be available to constituents at an especially hard time.

The worst of these effects has been delayed until after the November 2026 mid-term elections, but our rural communities will be facing some huge challenges in meeting the needs of more and more neighbors who are hungry, homeless and unable to get healthcare. As members of a community, we need to find meaningful solutions before we are in the thick of it. We have time to roll up our sleeves and get busy. Our local political and community leaders need to be focused on preparing now for what is to come.

Maureen Reilly

Queensbury