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Employment Plan
HRA spends approximately $200 million a year on employment programs . Every two years, we are required to file with the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance an employment plan for how we will be using those funds to help our clients . We submitted a new plan last year, and it was approved by the State on December 31, 2014 . It will take us about two years to replace all of the current contracts and completely implement the new program .
The new plan reflects a new approach based on these principles:
n Improving assessments to address each client’s actual strengths and needs . This will improve outcomes compared to the prior one-size-fits-all approach, which resulted in one out of every four clients who received employment assistance returning to the caseload within 12 months .
n Maximizing education, training, and employment-related services, which will open job opportunities and create the basis for building career pathways out of poverty .
n Eliminating unnecessary punitive and duplicative actions that lead to preventable negative actions and fair hearings (and that subject New York City to potentially $10 million in financial penalties) . This will allow staff to focus on more effective problem solving and allow clients to avoid delays in accessing services, finding jobs, and moving into sustainable employment .
Of the approximately 360,000 New Yorkers receiving assistance in any given month, most are not subject to work requirements, according to the same state and federal rules applied by prior Administrations . That is because about half are children and many more are seniors or clients who have barriers to employment because of either permanent or temporary disabilities .
Moreover, of the approximately 90,000 clients who are subject to work requirements, 25,000 actually have jobs; however, they make so little they still qualify for cash assistance . This underscores why the Mayor’s call for an increase in the minimum wage is so important for addressing poverty and income inequality—as well as for reducing our caseload .
During the phase-in of our Employment Plan:
n Our overall goal is to ensure HRA’s employment and training programs are effective in connecting and/or reconnecting New Yorkers to the workforce .
n We want to maximize education, training, and employment-related services .
– 60 percent of employable clients lack a high school diploma or equivalent degree, so we will
allow recipients up to age 24 to participate in full-time basic education .
– As permitted under a 2014 state law that we supported, we will allow participation in a four-year college-degree program . And we are putting supports in place to help clients successfully complete their education .
– We will increase access to targeted training for jobs in high-growth industries and utilize available Career Pathway programs .
n As noted, instead of one-size-fits-all, we are creating new employment strategies for youth, clients with limited English proficiency, shelter residents, those with work limitations, those with justice system involvement, and older clients .
n We are also working to enhance program participation and the resolution of disputes before a fair hearing is requested .
Impact: Collected Essays on the Threat of Economic Inequality