Temporary and Disability Assistance, Office of

Agency Web Site: http://otda.ny.gov/

Mission

The Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA), works in close collaboration with the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) and other agencies, helps low-income households achieve economic self-sufficiency through work, job training and the provision of supportive services that help avert dependency on public assistance. OTDA also provides economic assistance to aged and disabled persons who are unable to work.

Organization and Staffing

OTDA has its central office in Albany and several field offices statewide. These offices provide direct operational support, supervision and guidance to the State’s 58 local social services districts, which include each county and New York City. Social services districts are responsible for directly administering most public assistance programs, including those that serve the homeless and refugees. Agency staff also provide legal and audit support.

Budget Highlights

The FY 2019 Executive Budget recommends $5.7 billion for the agency. This is an increase of approximately $81 million from the FY 2018 budget. The increase primarily reflects increased authority to accommodate updated public assistance caseload projections.

The FY 2019 Executive Budget recommends a workforce of 2,006 FTEs, maintaining FY 2018 workforce levels.

Major budget actions include:

• Affordable Housing and Homelessness Initiative: The FY 2019 Executive Budget continues funding to support full implementation of the five year investment for the Affordable and Homeless Housing Plan, which will create new housing opportunities for individuals in need of supportive services and provide resources to support vulnerable populations in securing stable housing.

• Comprehensive Homeless Services Plan: Social services districts will be required to engage in planning activities related to street outreach, homelessness prevention activities, rapid rehousing, and ongoing housing stability for the formerly homeless. The State will require the social services districts to engage with ongoing efforts, set reasonable goals that are data-driven and uniquely tailored to the needs of its communities, and to report regularly on progress made. The Budget authorizes OTDA to withhold funding for districts that fail to implement an effective outreach program.

• 30 Percent Rest of State HIV/AIDS Rent Cap: For public assistance recipients living with a medically diagnosed HIV infection, the Executive Budget enables counties outside of New York City to opt-in to restrict the client contribution to thirty percent of their income toward shelter costs. If offsetting savings are available from Medicaid services, the Executive Budget authorizes the establishment of the rent cap program in Rest of State counties.

• Summer Youth Employment Program: The Executive Budget increases funding for the Summer Youth Employment Program by $4 million, to $40 million, to ensure that the State can continue to serve approximately 19,000 youths that were employed through the 2017 program, an increase of 625 youths from the previous year.

For more information on this agency's budget recommendations located in the Executive Budget Briefing Book, click on the following link:

Briefing Book – Human Services (PDF)

Program Highlights

Public Assistance

New York provides cash assistance to income-eligible individuals and families through the Family Assistance (FA) and Safety Net Assistance (SNA) programs. For income-eligible families with a minor child, ongoing cash assistance provided through the FA program is financed entirely with Federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds for up to 60 months, pursuant to federal statute. Families who have exhausted their 60-month time limit on FA, as well as income-eligible single adults and childless couples, can receive such assistance through the SNA program which is financed with State and local dollars. The FY 2019 caseload is estimated at approximately 544,000 recipients.

SSI State Supplement Program

New York's Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program supplements Federal SSI benefits to low-income elderly, blind, and disabled persons. The FY 2019 caseload is estimated at 715,000 recipients.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

SNAP is a federally mandated program that seeks to improve the nutritional level of low-income families and individuals by providing supplemental assistance to purchase food items. In New York, SNAP is directly administered by local social services districts, which are also responsible for administering programs to assist SNAP recipients in gaining the skills necessary to obtain and retain employment through training, education, and supportive services.

Homeless Housing and Assistance Program (HHAP)

HHAP provides grants to not-for-profit corporations and municipalities to expand and improve the supply of permanent, transitional, and emergency housing for homeless persons. HHAP also links its projects to other State and Federal funding sources to deliver appropriate support services to help tenants move towards greater self-sufficiency and economic stability.

Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP)

HEAP helps low-income households pay the cost of heating their homes. Eligibility is based on a number of factors, and eligible households may receive one regular benefit per year and emergency benefits, as available. The HEAP program also operates a heating equipment repair and replacement program, a heating equipment clean and tune program, and a cooling program during the summer months.

Child Support Services

The Child Support Services Program provides assistance with paternity and child support establishment, as well as the collection of child support. In addition, the Center operates an Access and Visitation program, which aids parents in development of successful parenting plans and visitation supervision and enforcement.

Note: Most recent estimates as of 01/16/2018