How To Get
Assistance
If you are low on funds and trying to stretch out what little you have, there are some ways to get back on your feet before you fall into despair. Help is available for families and single people in need of health insurance, rent assistance and food. The Human Resources Administration provides most of these services. Below is a listing of some of those services from the HRA for New York City residents who need a helping hand.
Health Insurance Assistance:
For those whose jobs do not offer health insurance, for those who cannot afford health insurance and for all those who cannot obtain health insurance for any other reason there is Medicaid. There are currently more than 2.5 million New Yorkers enrolled in Medicaid. A number of different types of health insurance exist through Medicaid, such as Family Health Plus, Child Health Plus and Medicaid Buy-In for Working People with Disabilities. To qualify for Medicaid you must meet at least one of the below requirements:
Have high medical bills.
Receive Supplemental Security Income
(SSI).
Meet certain income, resource, age, or disability requirements.
To find out if you qualify, or to set up an appointment, call the Human Resources Administration at (718) 557-1399 or (877) 472-8411.
Welfare - Financial Assistance
From time to time, many New Yorkers need a little help getting their monthly bills paid. If you have a job and are still not making ends meet, are suddenly unemployed or if the major breadwinner in your family passes away or leaves, you could qualify for the Welfare to Work program through the Human Resources Administration.
This temporary solution helps those who qualify meet their financial needs and provides free job training. To see if you qualify, call or visit one of the four Queens offices listed below:
Family Service Call Center
33-28 Northern Blvd.
LIC, NY 11101
(718) 752-3937
(718) 392-6454
Jamaica
90-75 Sutphin Blvd.
Queens, NY 11435
(718) 523-2146
(718) 523-2159
(718) 523-3066/3085
Long Island City
32-20 Northern Blvd.
LIC, NY 11101
(718) 752-7017
(718) 752-7019
(718) 784-6766
Rockaway
219 Beach 59th Street,
Rockaway, NY 11692
(718) 318-4098
(718) 318-4178
(718) 318-4111/12
Rockaway
520 Beach 20th Street
Far Rockaway, NY 11691
(718) 337-6500
(718) 337-6501
(718) 337-6502
(718) 337-6522
Food Stamps
The Food Stamp Program helps people with limited income purchase food. The program, funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, provides food stamp benefits through the use of an electronic benefits card that can be used in the place of cash to purchase food items at participating grocery stores and supermarkets.
New York City authorizes more than $1 billion dollars a year in food stamp benefits and there are currently more than 1,095,000 New Yorkers receiving food stamps in New York City.
You do not need to be destitute to qualify for food stamps. To learn more about the program’s qualification guidelines, how to apply and to obtain an application, call the HRA Infoline at (877) HRA-8411 or visit one the Welfare to Work Job Training Centers (listed above) – for Rockaway visit the site listed below:
Housing Assistance
If you cannot afford the ever-increasing rent payments of New York City apartments, you may qualify for free or reduced-cost public housing. To be considered, you must first fill out an application. Queens residents can pick up an application at 120-34 Queens Boulevard, 2 nd Floor, Kew Gardens or call the office at (718) 286-7500, TDD/TTY number (718) 793-7661, to request an application. All applications must then be mailed to New York City Housing Authority, Post Office Box 1342, Church Street Station, NY, NY 10008 .
The process includes a criminal background check. The Housing Authority will contact your old landlord and visits will be conducted by an outside contractor to your home.
This chart represents who is eligible for housing assistance based on the number of people in the household and the combined pre-taxed (gross) income of the household.
All Developments (Except Forest Hills Cooperative and Frederick E. Samuel Apts.)
1P 2P 3P 4P 5P 6P 7P 8P 9P 10P 11P 12P
$35,150 40,200 45,200 50,250 54,250 58,300 62,300 66,300 70,350 74,350 78,400 82,400
Section 8 (Very Low Income Limits)
1P 2P 3P 4P 5P 6P 7P 8P 9P 10P 11P 12P
22,000 25,100 28,250 31,400 33,900 36,400 38,950 41,450 43,950 46,450 49,000 51,500
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