Over the last year, the federal government has worked to alter our national safety net in ways that would leave millions of Americans without access to programs they rely on to get the food, housing, and medical care they need to survive. But as we enter the second year under this administration’s second term, you may have noticed that much of the harm threatened by these changes has yet to hit.

And the truth is, nobody knows when it will.

That’s because in many cases, federal judges have frozen the changes in response to lawsuits from states, local government agencies, and nonprofits – including King County and Washington state. And many of the changes to Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and Medicaid are now on the slow track of civil legal proceedings and may not be resolved for six to 18 months or more.

“We may not know when our communities will be hit directly by the actions of this administration, but that doesn’t mean we can afford to wait to step up for our neighbors in need.”

~Solid Ground CEO Shalimar Gonzales

At agencies like Solid Ground, this means we must prepare for the unknown. We don’t yet know how the federal funding we depend on will change or how we may need to respond to help affected communities. The uncertainty is hard on everyone, but in this case, the delay is a good thing in that it allows us breathing room and time to get ready. 

When the courts do make a ruling, Solid Ground and our partners will have to act quickly. Some things may be easy to deal with – by providing new training for staff, for example – while others will be much more difficult and damaging. 

Whatever happens in the courts, we’ve already seen reasons for hope in our own community. When the government shut down last fall and SNAP food payments were delayed, community members rushed forward, unsolicited, to make sure our city’s food banks were ready to meet the increased need. Individuals, businesses, and organizations donated more than $240,000 to the Seattle Food Committee through Solid Ground to help meet food banks’ most pressing needs.    

We may not know when our communities will be hit directly by the actions of this administration, but that doesn’t mean we can afford to wait to step up for our neighbors in need. NOW is the time to help strengthen our safety net before it’s beyond repair.  

The best way to help create stability for the communities in this time of deep uncertainty is to become a Community Builder and donate monthly – in any amount – to Solid Ground. It’s just one of the many Ways to Give hope and stability to our neighbors.

Photo at top: Solid Ground CEO Shalimar Gonzales speaks at the 2025 Gala (credit: Michael B. Maine).