The Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development released a contingency plan for procedures in the event of a government shut-down. The 67 page document is complex but it does address, in some small regard, what might happen to Section 8 programs during the government shut down.
In the section related to multi-family housing, the document indicates that HUD will “Make payments under Section 8 contracts, rent supplement, section 236, PRACS where there is a permanent or indefinite authority or multi-year funding.” and it goes on to say that HUD will “Renew/Fund Section 8 contracts and PRACS where there is budget authority available from prior appropriations or recaptures.”