This semester I am working for the Human Resources Administration of New York City at World Trade Center building 4 in the Marketing and Communications Department as a graphic designer.
The Human Resources Administration (HRA) is a public company that was created on August 15, 1966 by Mayor John Lindsay and integrated a number of already existing human services offices. It is amongst the first to establish an agency for helping people with HIV/AIDS back in 1985 and comprises of numerous program areas called Responsibility Centers that all work together to reach people in need. In order to do so these centers are spread all over the city providing services ranging from cash assistance, child support to employment services necessary for better living quality.
In 2014, Mayor De Blasio appointed Steven Banks as the new commissioner of HRA. So far, it seems that he genuinely wants to make public services more efficient, but results are not being produced fast to enough to meet the needs of people who are seeking it. Nonetheless, he is moving in the right direction. One of the things he has been fighting for is improving the living situations of the homeless in our city. In a New York Times article, written last year by Leslie Kaufman, Banks has been working tirelessly to help the homeless. Mr. Robert Doar, banks immediate predecessor, in an interview said that, “He is absolutely determined to have the government to pay the rent of poor New Yorkers. He doesn’t want anyone to leave the city because they cannot afford housing. And he is making commitments to subsidize housing that will hurt working-class tenants who don’t seek public assistance.” We would have to only wait and see if his proposed plans actually make a difference and New Yorkers get the help they need.
Unfortunately, not all government employees are good-hearted honest citizens and find other means to take advantage of government assistance. According to an article in the Daily News by Greg Smith, last year, a group of employees stole about $120,000 in food stamps to buy Redbull cases in bulk and resell them. It’s not surprising that people would steal from the government, but the embarrassing thing is that these people were able to do this due to flaw in the system that allowed them to create fake electronic benefit transfer cards. After this incident the process has been made completely electronic and more secure.
