Grants of $4000 are given to migrant families to facilitate their exit from NYC shelters.

On Friday, a city official confirmed to Planet Chronicle Digital that New York City launched a pilot program to assist migrants in leaving city shelters by offering them $4000 for permanent housing.

In December 2020, the NYC Department of Homeless Services (DHS) launched a pilot program called Asylee Moveout Assistance (AMA) to help asylum seekers find permanent housing. The program provided cash assistance to 150 families, in partnership with city shelters that offer services to asylum seekers.

A DSS spokesperson informed Planet Chronicle Digital that the city is employing all available resources to implement efficient and affordable strategies to assist recently-arrived asylum seekers living in shelters in their next steps.

In December, DHS officials began distributing $4000 to 150 families residing in the city's emergency DHS shelters.

The DSS spokesperson stated that since December, they have been collaborating with a few not-for-profit providers operating emergency sites to test a new initiative aimed at removing obstacles to obtaining housing for asylum-seeking families who have identified permanent housing but are facing upfront costs associated with moving into their new home.

Over the past seven months, 150 households have received assistance from this pilot program, and we anticipate continuing to support more households as we evaluate the pilot's success and the possibility of expanding access to this type of assistance, according to DSS.

The $4000 grant is only available to asylum-seeking families and pregnant women who are currently residing in select DHS emergency shelters and have already secured permanent housing.

The DSS spokesperson informed Planet Chronicle Digital that there is no city funding for the program, but DHS is using money from existing funds within the agency.

The DSS spokesperson stated that the pilot program is only available to asylum-seeking families in select emergency shelters operated by DHS, and it is not a citywide effort nor accessible to migrant families residing across the shelter system.

Migrant families who receive the grant must document their expenses, which include security deposits, moving expenses, first and last month rent, and household necessities, with the $4,000 available to cover these costs.

Migrants who return to city shelters are not eligible for a second payment.

Household necessities and moving expenses can be covered with up to $1,000 in gift cards for families.

The program is modeled after the city's Enhanced one-shot deals program, which was created by the Human Resources Administration and DHS.

To help homeless working families transition out of the shelter system and live independently, the pre-existing EOSDs offered "one-time payments."

The DSS spokesperson stated that the Asylee Moveout Assistance pilot is based on similar programs that provide one-time emergency assistance of up to $4,000 to cover upfront rehousing costs, such as the security deposit and moving expenses.

Amidst NYC Mayor Eric Adams' efforts to alleviate overflowing migrant shelters, this initiative is undertaken.

In March, Adams imposed restrictions on its "right to shelter" policy, limiting the stay to 30 days.

Over the past two years, NYC has spent over $5 billion on the migrant crisis, and this expense is projected to double by 2025, according to the New York Post. The cost of this spending includes shelter, food, healthcare, and education.

Over a three-year period ending June 30, 2025, the migrant crisis is predicted to cost $10 billion, according to Adams.

In February, the mayor presented a request for $4.6 billion to finance NYC programs until 2025 during an annual hearing in the Empire State's capital.

Since taking office, the city's shelter population has tripled, he stated.