DSS-HRA-DHS Updates
Community Partners Updates
Important updates as well as an ongoing synopsis of the information shared in prior communications are on our DSS Community Updates page. We encourage you to use and share this link to answer questions on the many topics we have covered.
Anyone interested in being added to the list of invitees for our community call, community updates communications relevant resources and agency updates can sign up here.
Reminder – Summer EBT
The New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) has begun issuing Summer EBT benefits to eligible school-aged children. The first round of issuances will go to approximately 835k children. Those households have been advised to access their benefits using their existing P-EBT card.
OTDA plans to issue text messages to households beginning the week of July 29th letting them know benefits have been issued.
The OTDA webpage will be updated with benefit issuance information as it becomes available.
As a reminder, Summer EBT is a new program to provide families with eligible school-aged children with food benefits to help cover the cost of groceries when school is out of session. Families with eligible children will receive $120 in Summer EBT food benefits per child in 2024. Most eligible children will receive their Summer EBT food benefits automatically; however, some families may need to apply.
All benefits are issued by NYS OTDA. More information can be found on the NYS OTDA Summer EBT website here.
The Summer EBT Helpline (1-833-452-0096) is also available for any general questions, case questions, and to opt-out of the Summer EBT program in 2024. The Helpline can also answer questions about applications, or change of address for Summer EBT card issuance.
New Pilot Restaurant Meals Program (RMP)
Following legislation signed by Governor Hochul, the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance has established a Restaurant Meals Program (RMP). The RMP allows certain households, who may not have access to what they need to properly store and prepare food or who may not be able to prepare meals themselves, to use their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to purchase prepared meals at participating restaurants at a discounted rate. When using SNAP benefits, these households will receive a 10% discount on the cost of their meal. Participating household will be responsible for covering the entire, discounted cost of their meals, when purchasing prepared meals participating restaurants.
The pilot, which began in Monroe County in December 2023, is now expanding to New York City. Currently, there are three participating restaurants in NYC. Additional restaurants are expected to be added. Those eligible for RMP can use their SNAP benefit at any participating restaurant.
Restaurant Participation
Through targeted outreach, a selection of restaurants expressed interest and applied for approval to become an authorized SNAP retailer and participate in the RMP. Not all NYC boroughs have participating restaurants at this time, but more will continue to be onboarded as the program grows.
An updated list of participating restaurants can be found here. As new restaurants are onboarded, they will be added to the website.
Eligibility
To be eligible to purchase prepared meals at restaurants participating in the RMP, all members of the SNAP household must be either:
- elderly (age 60 or older);
- have a disability as defined for SNAP (receives disability benefits from a government agency because of a disability considered permanent);
- experiencing homelessness (including those residing in shelter);
- a spouse of a SNAP recipient who is eligible for the RMP.
There is no separate application process for SNAP households to participate in the RMP. RMP eligibility is established systemically by HRA/DSS by the presence of certain attributes on the household’s SNAP case, such as age of all household members, the Aged/Disabled indicator, the Shelter Type code, and the Relationship indicator.
SNAP household that are eligible to participate in the RMP, have their benefit case automatically updated with an RMP indicator. This means that eligible households may purchase food/meals at participating restaurants without having to make any changes or updates to their cards.
Households identified as RMP eligible will receive notices from HRA, letting them know that their household may participate in the RMP. Conversely, when a household who previously participated in the RMP no longer meets the criteria to participate due to a change in circumstances, a notice will be issued to explain that the household is no longer eligible for the RMP.
All SNAP households can confirm their own RMP eligibility status by visiting ebtEDGE and creating or logging into their account. If the household is creating a new ebtEDGE account, they will need their CBIC/EBT card number, PIN, and an email address.
Once logged into the home page, in the “Account Information” section, the cardholder will see a thumbs up icon with “Account is Restaurant Meal Program Eligible” if the household is eligible for the RMP. If the household is not eligible for the RMP, the “Account is Restaurant Meal Program Eligible” message will not be present in the “Account Information” section.
Note: Applicants/Participants can also see the eligibility message for RMP on the ebtEDGE Mobile App.
Since clients will be using their SNAP benefits, they should check their SNAP benefit balance by calling 1-888-328-6399 or visiting ebtEDGE to ensure that they have sufficient funds in their SNAP EBT account prior to purchasing a meal at a participating restaurant.
If a household meets the criteria to participate in the RMP and attempts to purchase a prepared meal but does not have sufficient funds to cover the entire, discounted cost of their meal, the household will be responsible for covering any remaining balance with funds other than SNAP benefits.
If a household does not meet the criteria to participate in the RMP and attempts to use their SNAP benefits to purchase a prepared meal at a participating restaurant, the transaction will be declined, the household will not be eligible for the RMP discounted rate and will be responsible for covering the full cost of their meal with funds other than SNAP benefits.
For more information on the Restaurant Meal Program, click here.
For restaurant owners who would like to learn more, click here. Restaurant owners that are interested in enrolling into the program should contact NYSRMP@otda.ny.gov.
CityFHEPS Update
CityFHEPS is a rental assistance supplement administered by HRA/DSS to help individuals and families find and keep housing. CityFHEPS is available to eligible individual adults, adult families, and families with children, who reside in DHS and HRA shelters, as well as households in the community at risk of homelessness.
Guidelines for Lease Start Dates and Rent Proration
To determine the appropriate start of the lease, staff and providers must be mindful of the two possible scenarios:
Scenario 1: When packets are submitted by the 20th of the month (1st to 20th), the lease should be for the first of the first of the following month, and landlords will receive proration back to the date the packet is approved.
Scenario 2: When packets are submitted between the 21st and the last day of the month (21st to 31st), the lease will be for the first of the month after the following month, and landlords will receive proration back to the date the packet was approved. The following examples help clarify:
- A CityFHEPS packet is submitted on June 3rd. The lease start date should be July 1st.
- A CityFHEPS packet is submitted on June 20th. The lease start date should be July 1st.
- A CityFHEPS packet is submitted on June 21st. The lease start date should be August 1st.
- A CityFHEPS packet is submitted on June 25th. The lease start date should be August 1st.
The CityFHEPS Time Limited Zip Code-Based Landlord Bonus (“landlord bonus”) expired on June 30, 2024, and is not being extended at this time. The landlord bonus may only continue to be issued under the following conditions:
- A CityFHEPS applicant was issued a shopping letter and linked to unit before June 30, 2024; and
- The applicant’s CityFHEPS packet is submitted and approved on or before July 31, 2024.
The NYC Department of Housing and Preservation & Development (HPD) designated certain zip codes in NYC as expanded housing opportunity areas. Since rents tend to be higher in these zip codes, CityFHEPS offers a landlord bonus of two month’s rent to landlords in these zip codes who accept a CityFHEPS voucher holder at their market rate rent. Stabilized rents already at or below the CityFHEPS maximum are not eligible for this bonus. CityFHEPS packages submitted for approval in one of the zip codes identified on the Time Limited Zip Code Based CityFHEPS Landlord Bonus (DSS-8u) were eligible to receive a landlord bonus in the amount of two month’s rent through June 30, 2024.
For more CityFHEPS resources and information click here.
Health Bucks
Health Bucks are $2 coupons that can be used to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables at all NYC farmers markets. For every $2 in SNAP benefits spent at farmers markets, you can get $2 in Health Bucks, up to $10 per day. Health Bucks are available year-round at NYC farmers markets that accept EBT. Please visit the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene website to learn more about the program.
Get the Good Stuff
New Yorkers who participate in SNAP can get free fruits, vegetables, and beans at certain NYC supermarkets through Get the Good Stuff, a NYC Health Department program. For every dollar spent using SNAP benefits on eligible fruits, vegetables, and beans you can get a matching dollar (up to $10 per day) to spend on your next purchase of eligible foods. The matching dollars are added to a Get the Good Stuff pink card that is scanned at the register before payment. To learn more about the program and find participating store locations, please visit the Department of Health website.
