DSS-HRA-DHS Updates
Community-wide Conference Call
If you were not able to join our last Quarterly call on March 5, 2024, please find an audio recording here and use Passcode: @v6JW0x+ to listen.
ACCESS HRA Updates
The NYC Department of Social Services - Human Resources Administration (DSS/HRA) is pleased to announce several ACCESS HRA updates that went live on Saturday, April 13, 2024.
Below are new and improved features that are now available in the ACCESS HRA Client Portal and are intended to further improve the user experience:
- Updated HEAP Cooling Application:
- The HEAP Cooling season opens on April 15 and features an improved application providing more help text and options for clients to select their cooling unit provider preference
- The application includes mandatory form updates from the New York Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance
- Gender of ‘X’ in CityFHEPS:
- Clients filling out an online CityFHEPS renewal on AHRA can now select a gender of ‘X’ in addition to Female, Male, Non-Binary, Another Gender, Prefer Not to Say, or Unknown
- New OCSS Appointment Language:
- Appointment notification language for Child Support clients has been updated to reduce confusion surrounding interview and documentation deadlines
Visit the ACCESS HRA Client Portal at nyc.gov/accesshra.
Click here for the updated ACCESS HRA User Guide.
Trainings on ACCESS HRA are available for community partners! Sign up here.
Tools for Tenants: Forum on Defending Your Rights & Protecting Your Housing
CAMBA’s HomeBase program is hosting a tenants' rights forum at 1638 Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn on Thursday, April 18, 2024. This free event is focused on bringing together as many high-quality resources as possible for an evening of education and empowerment for tenants.
Presentations will be available live on Zoom by registering here, however, tenants are encouraged to attend in-person to enjoy the resource fair, learn how to advocate for themselves, navigate Housing Court, apply for emergency assistance and respond to a crisis.
Here’s the registration link: https://bit.ly/toolsfortenants. Click here for the event flyer.
Get Your Rent Back on Track – HRA Emergency Rental Assistance
HRA requests your help in spreading the word on Emergency Rental Assistance available to help residents stay housed. If you know individuals who have stopped paying rent or are having trouble making rent payments, there is help available to pay down arrears and avoid risking their housing.
Click here for detailed information on the grants and programs available which include Emergency Assistance Grants like One Shot Deals and Special Grants for active Cash Assistance cases, FHEPS and CityFHEPS rental assistance programs and Homebase services.
Feel free to share and refer to the following supporting documents:
Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) 2024 Cooling Assistance Benefit
The application period for the 2024 Cooling Assistance benefit opened on Monday, April 15, 2024 and will end close of business on August 30,2024 or until funds are no longer available (whichever comes first). Applications for the Cooling Assistance benefit can be submitted in-person, by phone, and through ACCESS HRA.
Eligible households receive a cooling benefit of up to $800 for the purchase and installation of an air conditioner. If one cannot be installed safely, a fan will be provided.
Benefits are provided on a first come first served basis to eligible applicants. Applicants are only eligible for a Cooling Assistance Benefit once every five years. Visit Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) for more information on the Cooling benefit.
As a reminder, the DSS Office of Community Outreach offers a HEAP Webinar for community-based providers who are interested in learning more about HEAP heating and cooling benefits and how to complete a HEAP application. Click here to register for an upcoming session.
2023-24 HEAP Revised Emergency Benefit Component Closing Date
The 2023-2024 HEAP Emergency benefit component has been extended from April 12, 2024, to August 30, 2024, or until funds allocated to this component are exhausted, whichever comes first. The emergency benefit component was previously extended from March 15,2024 to April 12, 2024.
Emergency benefits are available to assist eligible households with a heating emergency or a heat-related domestic emergency. Only one Emergency benefit of each type is available per HEAP household for the 2023-2024 program year. Regular component benefits, when available, must be utilized first to resolve heating emergencies for eligible households. Temporary relocation for housing emergencies and propane tank deposits to obtain new propane vendors are also available under the Emergency benefit component.
To apply for an Emergency HEAP benefit, applicants can call 718-557-1399 or visit a HEAP office.
Please note: Emergency HEAP benefit applicants will not be able to apply on ACCESS HRA.
For more information, including detailed eligibility requirements, click here.
Office of Child Support Services (OCSS) Training Institute - Upcoming Sessions
The OCSS Training Institute is offering free webinars on various topics related to the child support program. All providers and clients are welcome to attend these information sessions to better understand the services provided by the program.
All sessions are held virtually on Tuesdays from 10:00 to 11:00am. There is no cost for any of the webinars and each session includes a Q&A component. Links for registering are below:
Getting Started with Child Support: What New Noncustodial Parents Need to Know (Tuesday, April 30th at 10:00 AM – RSVP: https://bit.ly/3v1UBkA)
- Description: This webinar provides noncustodial parents (NCP) who have recently received a child support order with information on child support – how it works, the responsibilities an NCP must meet, and the benefits – including the long-term positive effects of child support on children. The session will also address how to modify an order, available debt reduction options, and what enforcement actions could mean for an NCP.
- Best Suited For: New parents and staff of organizations that serve families and individuals who are unfamiliar with child support.
Special Executive Session: Q&A with OCSS Leadership (Tuesday, May 14th at 10:00 AM – RSVP: https://bit.ly/4a3V9VQ)
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Description: This event is open to everyone in the community, including noncustodial and custodial parents with or without a child support order. The leaders of OCSS want to listen and hear from you. They will make short presentations about how NYC Child Support works and then answer questions from attendees on all subjects related to child support.
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Best Suited For: Parents and staff of organizations that work with individuals who have a child support case or who are thinking of applying for child support. This is an opportunity to meet the leadership of OCSS and let them know your thoughts and ideas about the program. Please help spread the word to parents involved with or interested in the child support program.
Getting Started with Child Support: What New Custodial Parents Need to Know (Tuesday, June 4th at 10:00 AM – RSVP: https://bit.ly/3T8iLlj)
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Description: This webinar provides new custodial parents with information on child support – how it works, how to apply, and the benefits – including the long-term positive effects of child support on children. Child Support can make a difference in moving a family out of poverty, but many families that could benefit from the program are not taking advantage of it. The session will also address how to obtain child support safely if there is a domestic violence concern.
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Best Suited For: New parents and staff of organizations that serve families and individuals who are unfamiliar with child support.
The Basics of Child Support Account Statements (Tuesday, June 18th at 10:00 AM – RSVP: https://bit.ly/4c4tiXo)
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Description: One of the benefits of a child support case is it provides a record of what has been paid by the noncustodial parent, to whom it was paid, and when it was paid. Account statements inform the parties, and the court about the financials of a child support case. It is provided during a court hearing when an order is already established, and it can be requested ad hoc. This webinar will explain the components of an account statement and how to interpret it.
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Best Suited For: Attorneys and staff of government and community-based organizations that work with individuals who have a child support case, and attorneys that handle child support cases.
Child Support Administrative Enforcement Actions: What You Need to Know (Tuesday, July 16th at 10:00 AM – https://bit.ly/3TADxMd)
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Description: This training takes a deep dive into administrative enforcement actions that are taken when child support payments aren’t made in a timely fashion and arrears begin to accumulate. Participants will learn about when enforcement actions occur, exemptions, and how to challenge an administrative enforcement action.
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Best Suited For: Attorneys, parents, and staff of organizations that have a working knowledge of child support and want a deeper understanding of the administrative enforcement mechanism.
Child Support: Debt Reduction Options for NCPs
(Tuesday, July 30th at 10:00 AM – https://bit.ly/3V595uA)
- Description: Unpaid child support debt is a serious problem for noncustodial parents as well as custodial parents and their children. It leads to enforcement actions that can interfere with job retention, create barriers for father engagement and causes stress for all parties. In fact, most debt is owed by NCPs with little ability to pay. HHS has recommended that debt be reduced to help avoid incidents of child abuse and neglect. Participants will learn about the important OCSS programs that can administratively reduce child support debt owed to the government as well as strategies to avoid debt in the first place and an option for negotiating debt owed to custodial parents.
- Best Suited For: Attorneys, parents, and staff of organizations that have a working knowledge of child support and want a deeper understanding of the steps NCPs can take to reduce debt that is owed either to the government or the custodial parent.
Fundamentals of Child Support
(Tuesday, August 13th at 10:00 AM – https://bit.ly/3TpwYvx)
- Description: This webinar provides a detailed overview of the child support process including information on the value of child support, the lifecycle of a child support case, and a description of programs designed to benefit parents who have a child support case.
- Best Suited For: Parents and staff of organizations that serve families or individuals that are new to child support or those who would like to refresh their knowledge.
What’s New in Child Support
(Tuesday, September 10th at 10:00 AM – https://bit.ly/43by3dJ)
- Description: Attendees will learn about our latest initiatives, our new program offerings, and our approach to make child support easier to understand. Attendees will receive information about the NYC Child Support Mobile App where custodial parents can apply for child support, noncustodial parents can make online payments, and both parents can manage aspects of their child support case.
- Best Suited For: Staff of organizations who work regularly with families or individuals and want to learn about new services available from OCSS.
An Introduction to Interstate Child Support Cases
(Tuesday, September 24th at 10:00 AM – https://bit.ly/49FCCQ9)
- Description: Most child support cases involve a custodial and noncustodial parent who live in the same jurisdiction. However, there are cases where the parents live in two different jurisdictions/states or countries and the child support programs in those jurisdictions need to cooperate and work together to provide child support services. Child support is federally mandated, state supervised, and in New York State, locally administered. While there are many different factors to consider, this webinar will cover the basics of how different child support agencies work together to deliver the support that children need, regardless of where they and the parents live.
- Best Suited For: Staff of government and community-based organizations that work with individuals who have a child support case, and attorneys that handle child support cases.
