NYC to Distribute Pre-Paid Cards to Migrants to Purchase Food

By Hamodia Staff

New York City will begin handing out pre-paid cash cards to migrants residing in New York City, allowing them to purchase food and baby supplies at bodegas, grocery stores, supermarkets and convenience stores around the city.

Recipients of the cards must sign an affidavit promising to use the cards for those items only, and failure to comply will result in them being kicked off the program.

Each family will receive funds monthly according to its size. A family of four could receive approximately $1000 per month, which is parallel to what recipients of the SNAP program receives.

The new pilot program, which is slated to cost the city $53 million, will be managed by Mobility Capital Finance, Inc., a Newark-based company.

The cards, called Immediate Response Cards, will first be distributed by Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) to migrant families staying at hotels in the city. They will be hand delivered to families at the Roosevelt Hotel, the first touchpoint for new arriving asylum seekers.

Adams spokesperson Kayla Mamelak said that the cards will allow families to purchase fresh food for their culturally relevant diets as well as baby supplies, and will save the city $7.2 million annually, FOX 5 reported.