Scott French on Keeping NYC’s Safety Net Strong in a Time of Federal Change

Greg Morris sits down with Scott French, Administrator of the New York City Human Resources Administration (HRA), for a conversation about protecting New York City’s safety net at a critical moment.French shares his journey from nonprofit leadership to overseeing an agency that serves more than three million New Yorkers each year. The discussion focuses on the return of expanded federal SNAP work requirements, what they mean for hundreds of thousands of city residents, and how HRA is working with community-based organizations to minimize confusion, prevent benefit loss, and keep families connected to essential wraparound supports.They also tackle common misconceptions about public benefits, the realities of affordability and generational poverty, and recent efforts to better align housing subsidies, homelessness prevention, and workforce systems to support long-term stability.Tune in for a thoughtful discussion on public service, accountability, and keeping the safety net strong for New Yorkers who need it most.Produced by: Manhattan Neighborhood NetworkPublished by: New York City Employment and Training CoalitionTopics: HRA leadership and public service; SNAP; work requirements; protecting food assistance access; affordability and generational poverty; workforce development and benefits systems; housing subsidies and homelessness prevention; strengthening NYC’s safety net.