Squadron, Silver, Glick, Kavanagh, Stringer, Chin, Mendez Urge City to Make Disaster Food Aid More Accessible

Electeds Urge Expanded Eligible Zip Codes, Additional Application Center in Lower Manhattan, Extended Deadline for D-SNAP Program

Letter Comes Alongside Push By Nadler and Federal Legislators

NEW YORK -- Today, State Senator Daniel Squadron, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, Assemblymembers Deborah Glick and Brian Kavanagh, Borough President Scott Stringer, and Councilmembers Margaret Chin and Rosie Mendez sent a letter to NYC Human Resources Administration Commissioner Robert Doar urging the City to make the Hurricane Sandy Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) more accessible to more New Yorkers in need. The letter comes alongside a similar push from federal elected officials, led by Congressman Jerrold Nadler.

The electeds asked HRA to include additional full and partial zip codes in Lower Manhattan, to open an additional application center in Lower Manhattan closer to more affected zip codes, and to extend the December 18th application deadline.

Last week, the federal government approved the City's request for $13 million in D-SNAP funding. Residents from 12 full or partial zip codes are eligible to apply. 

While the 10002 zip code on Manhattan's Lower East Side is eligible, many other downtown areas devastated by the storm were not included by the City. Moreover, the City has only opened two application centers to serve  New York City residents, making it much harder for and even potentially deterring eligible New Yorkers from applying.

"If there were additional application centers closer to more affected zip codes it would spread the volume of applicants, reduce pressure on the existing centers, particularly in Brooklyn, and make applications more realistic for those who need it," the elected officials wrote. 

The full letter is available below.

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