Project FAIR, Inc.

Project FAIR is a collaborative, New York City-based project working towards greater economic justice for low-income and homeless New Yorkers. Project FAIR empowers individuals and their communities by increasing access to information about public benefits, rights in administrative "fair hearings," and community services; by securing quality legal assistance for public assistance, food stamp, and Medicaid recipients; and by serving as a resource for community organizations.

Specifically, Project FAIR recruits, trains, and supervises advocates to staff an table on-site at the central fair hearing site to provide information and referrals to unrepresented benefits applicants and recipients. Through partnerships with legal services organizations and volunteers, Project FAIR also works to secure and increase quality representation for low-income and homeless individuals most in need of assistance. In addition, Project FAIR provides fair hearing workshops and technical assistance for the staff and members of community, social service, and legal organizations City-wide.

Our work grows more important each day. Over 2.5 million New York City residents receive public assistance, food stamps, or Medicaid. In the hundreds of fair hearings held each day to resolve problems with these benefits, almost 95% of individuals appear without representation or assistance. As the only agency located on-site at the main fair hearing site and the only agency specializing in fair hearings, Project FAIR brings access to information and assistance to people when and where they need it the most.