New York City has decided to stop giving food vouchers to migrants, ending a program that has faced criticism from conservatives and others.
In a statement, Mayor Eric Adams’s Office explained that they will not renew the emergency contract for this pilot program after its one-year term ends.
The program provided debit cards to migrant families living in city-funded hotels so they could buy their own food instead of the city providing meals. This was meant to save money since it cost less than the previous meal delivery service. Since March, the city has given out $3.2 million in prepaid debit cards to around 2,600 migrant families, allowing them about $350 a week to spend on food and baby supplies.
Mobility Capital Finance (MoCaFi), a financial technology company, was hired to manage the program for a year and was paid about $400,000 for this service.
The mayor did not explain why the program is ending, and the city’s ability to make emergency deals for migrant services has been taken away by City Comptroller Brad Lander. Currently, about 700 asylum seekers are arriving in the city each week, while around 1,000 are leaving.
