BY SAM SPOKONY | Coalitions of elected officials at the city, state and federal level are calling on Mayor Bloomberg and the city’s Human Resources Administration to expand access to the Disaster Supplemental Assistance Program (D-SNAP) benefits that were approved last week for those affected by Hurricane Sandy.
D-SNAP, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, provides replacement benefits for food stamp recipients who lose food in a disaster, while also extending benefits to many households that would not ordinarily be eligible for food stamps but suddenly need assistance.
D-SNAP benefits are currently available to eligible residents of Manhattan’s 10002 zip code, which includes nearly all the Lower East Side and part of Chinatown. Residents can apply for the benefits until Dec. 18 at 495 Clermont Ave. in Downtown Brooklyn, as well as at another location in Staten Island until Dec. 17.
But groups of eight U.S. congressmembers, led by Jerrold Nadler, and seven city and state politicians, led by state Senator Daniel Squadron, sent letters Wednesday urging Bloomberg and H.R.A. to include more zip code areas in the program, especially in Lower Manhattan.
They also called for the creation of additional application centers, since many residents in storm-affected areas — especially elderly or disabled people — are unable to reach the Brooklyn or Staten Island locations.
The politicians further asked the city to extend the current application deadlines, and the U.S.D.A. has stated that would be possible.
