To Settle Lawsuit, City Reopens Benefits Program For Disabled Sandy Victims

In order to settle a lawsuit against the city, the Human Resources Administration (HRA) announced Wednesday that it would reopen disaster-related food stamp benefits for disabled residents in Sandy-affected areas.

People living in parts of Gerritsen Beach and Coney Island are eligible for the program, called the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP), which offers one-time benefits to people who incurred disaster-related expenses during the storm.

“We are committed to ensuring that those individuals and their families who are eligible and who faced the hardship and severe damage of the storm have another opportunity to access these benefits.” HRA Commissioner Steven Banks said in a press release.

The decision to reopen the program, which was first offered in the immediate aftermath of the storm, is the result of a lawsuit (Toney-Dick v. Doar) charging that the city created unnecessary obstacles for disabled Sandy victims by requiring residents to apply in-person at a remote location in downtown Brooklyn.

To settle the lawsuit, the Human Resources Administration (HRA) will reopen the application process from October 3 to October 25 for households living in the following zipcodes:

• Coney Island, Brooklyn (zip codes 11224 and 11235)
• Red Hook, Brooklyn (zip code 11231)
• Gerritsen Beach South of Allen Avenue, Brooklyn (partial area of zip code 11229)
• Lower East Side, Manhattan (zip code 10002)
• Staten Island: Southeast shore (zip code 10306), and North Midland Beach South of Seaview Avenue (partial area of zip code 10305)
• The Rockaways, Queens (zip codes 11691, 11692, 11693, 11694, and 11697)

To find out if you are eligible, or to apply online, visit Access NYC, or call 718-557-1399. You can also pick up and application at an HRA SNAP Center.