PPI, Hunger Free America Pitch Online Tools for Poor

Government agencies should partner with tech companies and nonprofits to create online tools connecting low-income people to public and philanthropic programs to which they're eligible, the Progressive Policy Institute said. PPI and Hunger Free America released a report proposing what it called Health, Opportunity and Personal Empowerment (Hope) accounts at a Tuesday event in New York City. “The only thing low-income people have less of than money, is time," Hunger Free America CEO Joel Berg said in a news release. "The new HOPE technology partnership would streamline multiple government and nonprofit safety net programs all into one user-friendly device, allowing low income individuals to fill out one application, rather than wait in line for hours at up multiple government and nonprofit assistance offices.” NYC Department of Social Services Commissioner Steven Banks supported the report at Tuesday’s event, PPI said.