New York launches prepaid credit cards for immigrant families to buy food and supplies

In New York State, questions have increased related to the new pilot program that will offer migrant families a reloadable prepaid credit card to purchase food and supplies.

Additionally, Mayor Eric Adams’ office says the city is partnering with Mobility Capital Finance to launch a new, more cost-effective technology pilot program to distribute Immediate Response Cards.

This program would replace the boxes of non-perishable food that are delivered to immigrant families who are housed in hotels such as the Roosevelt.

The Big Apple currently has food service contracts that encourage the distribution of food boxes to shelters.

The program will begin with 500 immigrant families with minors who already reside in short-term hotels.

New York authorities explained that if the pilot program worked successfully, they would consider extending it to all immigrant families staying in hotels.

“We will provide prepaid debit cards to approximately 500 initial immigrant families with children who will be able to use the prepaid cards exclusively at grocery stores, grocery stores, supermarkets and convenience stores to ensure that the money is spent on food and baby items,” according to a statement from Adams’ office.

The cards can only be used in wineries, grocery stores, supermarkets and convenience stores.

The amount of the card will depend on the number of people in the family and the income they may have.

For their part, critics consider this measure an offense to taxpayers.

“We are simply giving this migrant population more free things at the expense of New York City taxpayers,” Councilman Joe Borelli told Fox 5 NY.

However, the mayor’s office says the program would save the city more than $600,000 a month, or more than $7.2 million.

According to the New York Post, this program will cost the city about $53 million dollars.

In this sense, Wole Coaxum, CEO and founder of MoCaFi, indicated that “MoCaFi’s goal is to expand access to financial resources for people excluded from banking, such as asylum seekers, and at the same time help the local economy. . “It is an honor to be part of the effort to welcome and support asylum seekers as they begin to put down roots in this country.”

Adams says the program would not only save the city money, but also offer families the ability to purchase fresh foods based on their “culturally relevant diets.”

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