I Skype-called HRA and waited for 20 minutes.
This was a much better proposition than getting on the iphone on 311.
Skype does not take 311. Anyway 311 just reads a database that is comparatively inadequate to the internet.
Note: you cannot use Skype on your 3G iphone due to AT&T not wanting to lose all their business.
HRA was useless. They did not ask questions but said I would have to visit the East End Job Center office and they only offered one shot loans.
Their information and offering was highly inadequate. A loan? I don't have a job or any money? How rare?
I was able to search on the internet to find out exactly what one shots were and exactly what was offered. Apparently if you have children or SSI you have all kinds of one-shot deals (Supplemental Security Income: Monthly SSI benefits are paid to persons with limited income and resources who are disabled, blind, or age 65 or older.) As in all the City and State programs, I have to ask how much is needed. See the pdf at nlada.org
If you do not have the above then you have only one deal and that is a loan from the city with a 12-month payment plan. The HRA person would not give me any information on the loan. She said ask the East End.
I checked out the New York State help offerings for housing counseling.
The automation gave me Strycker's Bay Neighborhood Council across the park. They said that I did not fit into their geographical area. They gave me Lenox Hill Neighborhood Administration who in turn gave me automation. The automation stated they are only accepting intake for food stamps, heap, evictions and loss of job. If you leave your number and where you live they will not promise but try to get back to you in one to two weeks. On Mondays they have walkins that start at 10AM-noon. However they accept only the first four signins. Therefore be early.
Ok I will be there Monday early. I am now going over to the East End with NYSDOL appeal letter and my school book to study while I am waiting. I figure at least I will have done everything I can to survive.
New York State and City have always had pathetic service and nothing has changed. Automation has acerbated their problems because they did not take a customer satisfaction approach. Too bad they did not use my architect finesse to start them out on the right foot. They did not match their manual administration with their automation. When they received complaints about their automation they did nothing. Sometimes you have to scrap the whole lot. I know, I know you paid fat cat corps and lame ducks plenty to set it up. Its no surprise that the State is $billions in debt. I am not surprised that New York State and City are purging the very people that send in their taxes every year. They are stupido!
