NYC hands out pre-paid credit cards for migrant families
NEW YORK - Despite criticism, New York City officials have already begun handing out pre-paid credit cards to migrants for food.
The Immediate Response Cards are being hand-delivered at the Roosevelt Hotel and distributed by Mobility Capital Finance staff directly to asylum seekers receiving financial assistance.
In response to an overwhelming demand for food, and reports of food being wasted at shelters, the $53M contract will help subsidize their food and supplies.
NYC Mayor Eric Adams and city officials insist that the program would both save the city money, and allow families to purchase fresh food based on their "culturally relevant diets."
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NYC launches pre-paid credit cards for migrant families
City officials said that if the pilot program is a success, they would consider expanding the program to all migrant families staying in hotels.
A family of four is expected to receive up to $350 per week under the program.
The program will start with 500 migrant families with children already living in short-term hotels.
City officials said that if the pilot program is a success, they would consider expanding the program to all migrant families staying in hotels.
RELATED: NYC Mayor Eric Adams slashes funding to migrants in third round of budget cuts
What are prepaid cards for migrants?
The program will replace the non-perishable food boxes given to migrant families staying in hotels like the Roosevelt.
The cards will be loaded with about $12.52 per person, every day for 28 days, according to Kayla Mamelak, a spokesperson for New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
"This is going to be part of our cost-saving measures. We're going to save $600,000 a month, $7.2 million a year," Adams told FOX 5 NY last month.
New York City has allocated $53 million to the pilot program, which officials say will save $600,000 per month and $7.2 million annually.
The program will start with 500 migrant families with children already living in short-term hotels.
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NYC Mayor Eric Adams says migrants will get $13 a day on prepaid credit card: Here's the breakdown
NYC Mayor Eric Adams is clearing up reports on how much migrants will actually receive on their prepaid cards.
The cards can only be used at bodegas, grocery stores, supermarkets and convenience stores.
Officials hope that using the cards at area retailers will help stimulate the city's economy.
City officials also said that if the pilot program is a success, they would consider expanding the program to all migrant families staying in hotels.
Nonetheless, officials claim the goal is to cut the cost of the migrant crisis.
Single migrant men, mostly from West Africa, congregate in Tompkins Square Park as volunteers give away food and clothing, January 27, 2024, in the East Village neighborhood of New York City, New York. Tompkins Square has become a focus point in New
"…If it's abused, we [will] take those cards away," Adams warned earlier this year.
The migrant crisis remains a big concern. NYC estimates that the cost of caring for migrants is expected to reach $12 billion over the next three years.
The federal government says it will release $106 million to reimburse New York City for its response to the migrant crisis.
According to officials, NYC spent $1.45 billion to assist migrants in the 2023 fiscal year.
The city rented out entire hotels to house some of the tens of thousands of migrants who came to New York City last year and also put cots in schools and temporarily housed people in tents, a cruise ship terminal and a former police academy building.