These gaps in benefits can force households to divert some of their rent. mortgage. or utility money to pay for food. leaving them in danger of an eviction or a utility shutoff. The situation of recipients who suffer a brief gap In benefits is different from that of new applicants. who may have been living off of income for a job In the early part of the month before they applied for food stamps. The Drought Relief Act of 1988 enacted this provision for migrant farm workers. and the Senates version of the Hunger Prevention Act of 1988 would have applied this rule to all households. The bill would exclude all vendor payments for housing that meet the definition of transitional housing for the homeless. None of these vendor payments should be counted against homeless households since they are not.