Food, housing, medical care: where to turn to New Yorkers who find themselves in a difficult situation
'29.05.2020'
Vita Popova
If you are out of work due to a pandemic or you don’t have money for some other reason to pay rent and buy food, you can turn to the city for support. List of useful resources published on the site of the city hall New York.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and quarantine, many New Yorkers lost their jobs and livelihoods. In this regard, many people cannot satisfy their basic needs - in food, accommodation and medical care.
If you need support, you need to know where to go. Below you will find a list of useful resources that will help you in solving certain problems.
Food aid
If you need food assistance for the COVID-19 pandemic, visit this site. On it you will find various resources that will help you get the support you need. For instance:
- Food Help NYC your nearest office providing free food, including food distribution points, operating near your home in schools.
- Visit ACCESS HRAto apply for the Supplemental Food Assistance Program (SNAP / food stamps).
- Residents of New York City who are 60 years of age or older who have a disability and have a meal at home are provided by the NYC Department for the Aging.
- HungerFree NYC и Hunter College Food Policy Center publish information about available resources in the vicinity. These guides cover all areas of New York by ZIP code and are available in several languages.
- City Harvest Mobile Markets distributes fresh produce in all five boros.
You can also use the service emergency food delivery assistance, if a:
- you cannot go outside and take food for yourself
- there is nobody in your house who could bring you food
- you don’t have a family member, friend or neighbor living nearby who can bring food for you
- you cannot afford food delivery from a restaurant or grocery store
Health and medical care
- The site ACCESS HRA You can apply for Medicaid assistance.
- Visit broker Department of Social Security for the Elderly for Medicare MSP, LIS, and other Medicare low-income programs.
Financial help
Incentive payments
To receive incentive payments, in most cases no action is required. Some older people and those who usually do not file a return will need to file a simple tax return to get paid. To learn more about incentive payments, visit ACCESS NYC.
Additional financial assistance resources
- Visit ACCESS HRAto apply for cash assistance.
- Check out HRA Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP)to apply for a grant for this program.
- For advice, you can call the New York Disaster Interfaith Services, NYDIS at 212-669-6100 Monday through Friday (9:00 a.m. to 17:00 p.m.); Emergency financial assistance under the Life Safety program is provided for low-income households.
Free individual financial consultation
The University of New York's Financial Opportunity Centers at the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection now provide free, professional financial advice over the phone.
On the subject: New York Immigrants Afraid to Go to Court for Defense: How Quarantine Compounded the Situation
Consultants will help you set a budget, teach you how to manage accounts, save on the most necessary, deal with student loans and much more. Visit this siteto make an appointment online.
Rent, Housing and Community Assistance
Cash assistance
If your work schedule has been cut as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and you are not able to pay the rent, you can apply for a special Cash Assistance scholarship to receive benefits in case of emergency.
If you need cash assistance, visit ACCESS HRA.
Help tenants
If you rent a home in New York and encounter difficulties with COVID-19, you can count on the help of the city. Learn more about tenant tenancy rights here.
New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA)
New Yorkers suffering from loss of income can exercise their right to lower rents. Households that have experienced a complete loss of income may qualify for a “Zero Rent Policy” (Zero Income Policy).
Pandemic hotel accommodation program
In the framework of the program COVID-19 Hotel Program Individuals or groups of people (such as healthcare providers) can temporarily stay in hotels so as not to expose their loved ones to risk.
The above list will be updated frequently. For more information on the city’s actions to address COVID-19, visit its website. NYC.gov/coronavirus, call or visit the 311 website online. You can also write COVID to 692-692 for updated information.
