Mamdani launches outreach team to maintain Medicaid and SNAP amid federal threats

Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced in an Oct. 19 news release he and the city’s department of health are launching the the Health and Affordability Resource Team, an outreach initiative that aims to help New Yorkers navigate federal changes to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps.

The initiative is funded by a $3 million investment the mayor’s office said was made by Mamdani in fiscal year 2027.

The team will be made up of trained community healthcare workers and supported by community-based organizations, the release said. According to the mayor’s office, the initiative will help residents enroll in and keep healthcare coverage, access food assistance and cash benefits, secure housing support, and get relief from medical bills.

Federal Medicaid work requirements are set to take effect January next year, and the mayor’s office said as many as 900,000 New Yorkers could be at risk of losing their coverage.

Mamdani said healthcare and food are basic necessities, not a privilege.

“Our administration is bringing help directly into communities,” Mamdani said, adding the team will “help New Yorkers navigate these changes, keep the benefits they rely on and get the support they need.”

New Yorkers at risk can contact a city health department enrollment counselor at (347) 655-0124 or visit nyc.gov/medicaidhelp, the release said.