City social services staff briefed the Petersburg City Council on Nov. 5, 2025, about how federal funding disruptions are affecting SNAP (food stamp) benefits and local reimbursement streams, and about steps the city is taking to reduce immediate impacts on residents.

Bill (social services staff) told council that Governor Glenn Youngkin declared a state emergency and the state created the Virginia Emergency Nutritional Assistance Program (VENA) to issue weekly benefits to current SNAP recipients while federal funding was paused. "The benefit would be delivered on a weekly basis," Bill said, describing the state's intent to protect general fund revenue while ensuring recipients receive food assistance.

What the state action means: Under the VENA weekly issuance, Virginia issued partial weekly payments this week to SNAP recipients whose benefits normally arrive on the first and fourth of the month. Bill explained the state's initial disbursement model would deliver roughly 25% of a recipient's normal monthly allotment each week until federal funding resumes; he said a federal USDA action announced this week covered about 50% of the November issuance nationally but that timing and reimbursement details were still unsettled.

Local numbers and fiscal risk

- Local caseload: Bill provided city figures during council discussion, saying Petersburg had 6,298 households and about 11,089 individuals on SNAP as of September 2025 (roughly one-third of residents).

- Reimbursements and risk: The city manager and Bill warned that if the federal shutdown continues, federal reimbursements that reimburse local operational costs could be delayed and localities nationwide could face temporary revenue shortfalls. The city reported combined monthly reimbursements averaging about $843,000 for the first quarter of the fiscal year; roughly half of that is federal. The state covered October local reimbursements, but staff said there is a risk of no reimbursement for November expenditures if the shutdown continues.

Immediate impacts and programs

- VENA rollout: Bill said the VENA first weekly payments began on Monday (covering one-third of recipients who normally received benefits on the first of the month), with subsequent weekly issuances scheduled to reach all current October recipients. Benefits issued under VENA remain on individual EBT cards and are usable at SNAP retailers.

- Heating assistance: A small federally funded heating-assistance program (SERA) cannot be implemented until federal funds are restored; the city received applications Nov. 1 but could not process them while funding remains paused.

Council response and next steps: Council members discussed short-term food assistance and workforce strategies. Mayor and council agreed to explore a city food pantry and to prepare an employment/volunteer pipeline that could help SNAP recipients gain work and reduce dependence on benefits. Staff agreed to develop a brief proposal within roughly a month and involve partner organizations including the housing authority.

Ending: City officials said they would continue to update council weekly as state and federal guidance evolves and urged residents seeking assistance to consult the city website and the clerk's office for details.