Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and the New York City Health Department announced Monday the launch of the Health and Affordability Resource Team, a $3 million outreach program that will send trained community health workers into neighborhoods to help New Yorkers keep their Medicaid and food assistance as new federal rules threaten health coverage for as many as 900,000 city residents.

The team, known as HART, will help residents enroll in and maintain health coverage, access food assistance and cash benefits, secure housing support, prevent evictions and obtain relief from hospital bills. Its workers speak a combined 13 languages, and many have firsthand experience navigating the same health care and food assistance programs they will now help others access.

HART is funded by a $3 million investment in the city’s fiscal year 2027 budget. Outreach workers completed training on the federal changes to Medicaid and SNAP, cultural competency, community engagement, health insurance eligibility and enrollment, and approaches to supporting community mental health, and they will work alongside community-based organizations and volunteers.