(DailyVantage.com) – New York City has started a pilot program aimed at helping migrant families move out of shelters and into permanent housing. The program, called the Asylee Moveout Assistance (AMA), offers families $4,000 to cover expenses like rent deposits, moving costs, and household necessities. A city official confirmed this to Fox News Digital on Friday.
Launched last December by the NYC Department of Homeless Services (DHS), the program was designed to assist asylum-seeking families living in certain city shelters. So far, 150 families have received the cash assistance as part of this effort.
According to a spokesperson from the Department of Social Services (DSS), the city is using every resource available to find solutions for recently arrived asylum seekers. The goal of the program is to help these families overcome barriers that make it difficult to find permanent housing. The spokesperson also said that the city will continue to evaluate the program and might expand it if it proves successful.
The $4,000 grants are available only to asylum-seeking families and pregnant women who are staying in select shelters and have already found permanent housing. The money is intended to help with upfront housing costs, like security deposits, rent, and moving fees. Families must keep track of how they spend the funds. They are also eligible to receive an additional $1,000 in gift cards for other essentials.
This program is similar to another initiative the city already has in place, known as the Enhanced One-Shot Deals program, which provides one-time payments to help working families move out of shelters.
The AMA program is part of a larger effort by Mayor Eric Adams to deal with the city’s shelter crisis. With shelters overcrowded, the mayor recently imposed a limit on the “right to shelter” policy, reducing stays to just 30 days.
New York City has spent over $5 billion on the migrant crisis in the last two years, and that number is expected to double by 2025. Mayor Adams has requested more funding to help manage the situation, as the city’s shelter population has tripled during his time in office, according to National Review.
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