Better NYC — Project 001

HRA is broken.
We rebuilt it beautifully.

Confirm your email in a browser. Bounce between the app and nyc.gov. Log in with a username + password like it's 2009. That's the system New Yorkers depend on — so we redesigned it: calm, simple, human.

Try the prototype→ How it works
Design concept — not affiliated with NYC HRA.
Hello, New Yorker.
SNAP
$292
renews Nov 1
CASH AID
$342
active
Renew SNAP · 2 taps→
The problem

Getting help shouldn't
be the hardest part.

THE APP TODAY

  • Username + password login — in 2026
  • Confirm your email in a separate browser
  • Bounced between the app and nyc.gov
  • Status updates in caseworker code

THE REBUILD

  • One-tap sign in. That's the whole login flow.
  • Everything on one screen — balances, renewals, status.
  • Renew SNAP in 2 taps. Thirty seconds, done.
  • Plain-English tracker — received, verified, approved.
The rebuild

Three things, done right.

No 40-page portal. No office visit to check a status. Just the three jobs people actually come for.

01

Apply once

One form. We fill in what the city already knows about you — you confirm, not retype.

02

Track everything

Real-time status in plain English. You'll never have to "call the office" again.

03

Renew in 2 taps

Reminders before anything expires. Renewals take thirty seconds, not thirty days.

Prototype v1 — live

This page is real.
The app behind it is real.

Sign up, get a seeded benefits dashboard, renew SNAP in 2 taps, watch the tracker move. Full-stack: frontend + database + auth.

Open the prototype→