New York City Human Resources Administration

Assessing and Meeting the Transportation Needs of TANF Recipients

Individuals who receive public assistance through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Program are generally expected to become economically self-sufficient through placement in jobs or training programs expected to lead to employment. If a TANF recipient does not live within walking distance of work-related activities, and needs help getting to and from these activities, the local social services district is required to provide assistance to the recipient in the form of transportation services such as bus passes or reimbursement for work-related transportation expenses. In New York City, such assistance is provided by the New York City Human Resources Administration (HRA). We examined HRA’s administration of TANF transportation funds and found that certain improvements could be made. In particular, the assessment of the recipients’ transportation needs and the amount of assistance provided to each recipient needed to be better documented.

For a complete copy of Report 2002-N-5 click here.
For a copy of the associated follow-up report click here.