NYCCAH Offers Praise for New Bloomberg Initiative, Support for the REAACT Bill

Today members of the Coalition Against Hunger praised the Bloomberg administration for its announcement of a new initiative to provide low-income New Yorkers with tools and education to reach financial empowerment. In particular, the Coalition praised the inclusion of Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) among the ideas to be funded (covered in the New York Times).

Earlier today, Joel Berg, executive director of the Coalition, offered brief testimony to the New York City Council in support of the Ready Access to Assistance (REAACT) bill offered by Councilman Bill deBlasio (Intro. 359). This bill would once again allow advocates and non-profit volunteers into government offices to assist applicants in knowing their rights and obtaining benefits. The practice, disallowed under the Giuliani administration, would "enable city residents to get the best possible service from their government," according to Berg.