New York City is processing cash assistance applications at its slowest pace yet, leaving thousands of low-income residents waiting longer than the required 30 days for critical help, new city numbers show.
Between July and October of last year, just 14% of cash assistance applications were processed on time, according to early data from the preliminary Mayor’s Management Report , the city’s yearly report card. That’s worse than the 55% timely processing rate for the same period the year before and the record-low 28% rate the city set in the last fiscal year.
“It is absolutely, positively insane. That is not something that should happen, you knew your numbers were at 28%, you said you would do better, where is the doing better part?” asked Diana Ramos, a volunteer with Safety Net Activists who also received public benefits. “Fix it.”
The lag in processing cash assistance applications, which are available to help low-income families and unemployed or underemployed individuals help pay for basic necessities or rent, come as rents in New York City reach new highs and as record levels of homelessness strain the city’s already fraught safety net further.