MyFile NYC

Missing documentation is a commonly cited reason for application denials for safety net benefits and programs. Residents may not be able to easily retrieve specific documents and this contributes to time and effort expended by both residents and government employees.
My File NYC is a pilot project aiming to reduce the time and effort expended by all parties on collecting documents and records through a web application for residents to store, retrieve, and share vital documents with the Department of Homeless Services (DHS).

TARGET AUDIENCE

Families entering DHS Intake Centers

PROJECT PARTNERS

DHS
New America Foundation Digital Impact and Governance Initiative (DIGI)

KEY FEATURES

• Upload and Backup Files  - Create secure, encrypted backups of identity documents like driver’s licenses, social security cards, utility bills, etc. At any time, users can download and maintain their own copies
• Share with City Workers - Using the secure interface, NYCers can share one or more documents with DHS caseworkers and investigators
  

HOW WE CREATED MYFILE NYC

MyFile NYC was created in collaboration with New America’s Digital Impact and Governance Initiative. It seeks to reduce the time-burden and complexity of providing identification documents to the City when applying for benefits. MyFile NYC is launching as a pilot initiative with DHS’s PATH Intake centers in 2022

TECHNOLOGY POWERING MYFILE NYC

MyFile NYC is hosted on AWS and is mainly written in TypeScript. You can view our code on our Github Page after we launch in 2022.