Matlacha, Florida, after Hurricane Ian on September 29, 2022. With home sales already stalled by high prices, the federal shutdown this week threatens to slow parts of the housing market even further. Matias J. Ocner/Miami Herald/TNS/Getty Images

Slower mortgage approvals, stalled rural home loans and a freeze on new flood insurance policies: The government shutdown, which began at midnight on October 1, could gum up some of the gears that keep the US housing market running.

It is unclear how long the shutdown will remain in effect. Experts say most housing programs will continue amid the closure, and most people may not be impacted yet. But with home sales already stalled by high prices, the government’s first shutdown in nearly seven years threatens to slow parts of the housing

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