BREAKING BARRIERS: NYC CASH ASSISTANCE ENHANCEMENTS

The Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies (FPWA) is an
anti-poverty policy and advocacy organization with a century-long
presence in New York City. As part of its mission of dismantling
impediments to economic security and wellbeing, FPWA engaged
the Capstone team to address systemic barriers to access and
retention in NYC's Cash Assistance program. FPWA tasked the
team with developing recommendations for the NYC Human
Resources Administration (HRA) aimed at improving the Cash
Assistance program, utilizing a People-Centered and Trauma-
Informed (PCTI) framework. The team’s final report documents its
extensive research, including an examination of the current program
design, analysis of public data, and in-depth interviews with Cash
Assistance beneficiaries and advocacy groups. The report also
provides recommendations for improving the administration of
Cash Assistance by streamlining the application and recertification
processes, alleviating administrative burden, leveraging technology,
and fostering a culture of mutual respect.