QUESTION
Is NYC considering direct cash transfers for those in poverty?
2:34:32
·
57 sec
The Department of Social Services discusses ongoing pilot programs for direct cash transfers to alleviate poverty.
- There are pilot initiatives exploring the feasibility of direct cash transfers.
- Some programs have shown promising results, while others are too early to assess.
- Commissioner Park is open to considering direct cash transfers but highlights the complexity of federal benefits interaction.
- Concerns include avoiding 'cliff effects' and not substituting federal funding with city resources, which could pose challenges.
Gale A. Brewer
2:34:32
I'm sure you saw it 1,500,000 adults, 420,000 kids in New York City are in poverty.
2:34:38
Big numbers, bigger than in the past.
2:34:40
So are we thinking about doing what other cities are doing, which is direct dollars to those who are in who are in a poverty situation?
Molly Wasow Park
2:34:50
So there are a number of ongoing pilot programs, pilot initiatives around direct cash transfer programs.
2:34:59
Some of them serve some somewhat promising results.
2:35:02
Some of them, it's too early to tell.
2:35:05
You know, it's something that I'm always happy to look at.
2:35:08
There's all kinds of really complicated interaction with with federal benefits both on a client level, making sure that we don't run into a cliff issue, but also making sure that we aren't losing out opportunity to claim federal dollars and replacing federal spending with city funding, which creates challenges as well.
2:35:29
Okay.
