Temporary and Disability Assistance, Office of

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

Mission

The Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA), working 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’s central office is in Albany and has 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 2021 Executive Budget recommends $5.9 billion for the agency. This is an increase of approximately $41 million from the FY 2020 budget. The increase primarily reflects the additional investment in capital funds for the Homeless Housing and Assistance Program.

The FY 2021 Executive Budget recommends a workforce of 1,987 FTEs, maintaining FY 2020 workforce levels.

Major budget actions include:

• Continue the Affordable Housing and Homelessness Initiative. The FY 2021 Executive Budget continues funding to support full implementation of the five year investment for the Affordable and Homeless Housing Plan, which continues to create new housing opportunities for individuals in need of supportive services and provide resources to support vulnerable populations in securing stable housing.
• Create More Homeless Housing. The Budget doubles funding in FY 2021 to $128 million for the Homeless Housing and Assistance Program (HHAP), an increase of $64 million, and designates up to $5 million to expand permanent supportive housing for homeless veterans. This investment will create more housing for individuals and families who are homeless and unable to secure adequate housing without special assistance. HHAP is a critical resource in achieving the State’s supportive housing development goals, as it funds the capital construction of housing solely targeted to homeless individuals and families that require wrap-around services to remain stably housed.
• Establish a Code Blue Appropriation. In 2016, Governor Cuomo issued an Executive Order to direct local social services districts, working in consultation with State and local law enforcement and community-based organizations, to protect individuals experiencing homelessness from inclement winter weather when temperatures, including wind chill, decline to 32 degrees or below. To support continued implementation of Code Blue efforts across the State, the FY 2021 Executive Budget memorializes the Governor's directive with a $13 million stand-alone appropriation.
• Increase the New York City Share for Family Assistance to Needy Families Expenditures. The FY 2021 Executive Budget changes the local share for New York City for the Family Assistance (FA) and Emergency Assistance to Needy Families (EAF) programs to 15 percent. These programs provide assistance to eligible families earning less than 200 percent of the Federal Poverty level. This is an increase from the existing 10 percent local share that the City pays for the FA and EAF programs.
• Legalize Gestational Surrogacy. To give all New Yorkers the equal ability to start and raise families, legislation included with the budget will eliminate unnecessary, harmful, and costly barriers to gestational surrogacy. The legislation will remove legal uncertainty and ensure that all parties involved in the process are covered by robust protections.
• Increase Funding for the Summer Youth Employment Program. The Executive Budget increases funding for the Summer Youth Employment Program by $1 million, to $45 million, to ensure that the State can continue to serve approximately 19,000 youths that were employed through the 2019 program, consistent with 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 2021 caseload is estimated at approximately 469,000 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 2021 caseload is estimated at 690,000 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 01/29/2020