Terms of Use

About CityHelp Inc.

CityHelp is operated by CityHelp Inc., a Delaware nonprofit corporation. We are a civic technology organization operating in New York City under the fiscal sponsorship of Tides Foundation. Our mission is to help New Yorkers find and access social services, public benefits, and community resources through Sam, our AI-powered navigator.

By using this website, the Sam chat interface, or any other CityHelp service, you agree to these Terms of Use. Please read them carefully. If you do not agree, please do not use the service.

Sam is informational, not advisory

Sam provides general information about programs, benefits, and services that may be available in New York City. Sam is not a lawyer, doctor, social worker, immigration counselor, financial advisor, or licensed professional of any kind.

Information provided by Sam:

• Is general in nature and may not apply to your specific situation
• Is not legal, medical, financial, or professional advice
• May not reflect the most current eligibility rules, hours, locations, or program availability
• Should be verified directly with the relevant agency or organization before you act on it

You should consult a qualified professional before making decisions about legal, medical, financial, immigration, or housing matters.

No guarantee of accuracy or availability

We work hard to keep our information current and accurate, but we cannot guarantee that every detail Sam provides is correct, complete, or up to date. Programs change. Eligibility rules change. Locations close or move. Government policies shift.

CityHelp makes no warranties, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, completeness, reliability, or availability of any information provided through our services. Use of the service is at your own risk.

Not a substitute for emergency services

If you are in immediate danger or experiencing a medical emergency, call 911. If you are in crisis, call or text 988 (Suicide and Crisis Lifeline). Sam is not designed for emergency use.

Privacy and your information

We take your privacy seriously. CityHelp does not sell your personal information. Conversations with Sam may be logged for the purposes of improving the service and reporting aggregate, anonymized usage to funders and partners.

We do not share identifiable information with government agencies unless required by law. See our Privacy Policy for full details.

Acceptable use

By using CityHelp, you agree not to:

• Use the service for unlawful purposes
• Attempt to disrupt, hack, or reverse-engineer the platform
• Submit false or misleading information through forms or chat
• Use automated tools to scrape or overload the service
• Misrepresent yourself as another person or organization

Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, CityHelp Inc., its founders, directors, officers, employees, volunteers, fiscal sponsor, and partners are not liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use of the service or reliance on information provided by Sam.

Third-party services and links

Sam may refer you to government agencies, nonprofits, and community organizations. CityHelp does not control these third parties and is not responsible for their services, decisions, eligibility determinations, or treatment of you.

Changes to these terms

We may update these Terms of Use from time to time. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision. Continued use of the service after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated terms.

Contact us

Questions about these terms? Email: sam@cityhelp.center

This document is provided for general informational purposes and should be reviewed by a licensed attorney before being relied upon as the operative terms of service for CityHelp.