Council allocated $1.5 million in Fiscal Year 2026 budget to help 60 young New Yorkers secure stable housing, adding to historic first program supporting expecting mothers
City Hall, NY – Today, the New York City Council announced the launch of a new initiative to support a guaranteed income program for youth experiencing homelessness, building on its previous historic effort to support pregnant mothers. In partnership with Covenant House New York (CHNY), the Council allocated $1.5 million for the Cash with Care program in the City’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget, which will support 60 young New Yorkers between the ages of 18 and 24 who are living in Covenant House shelter and transitional residential programs.
The goal of the guaranteed income program is to support young people along their journey out of homelessness by providing flexible, reliable income alongside wraparound services. Each participant will undergo benefits counseling and other support programs. Once enrolled in the program, they will receive a monthly cash assistance stipend of $1,200 for nine months, and a one-time payment of $5,000, accessible at any point during the first nine months of the 12-month program.
“When we invest in young people, we’re investing in the future of our entire city,” said Speaker Adrienne Adams. “Guaranteed income programs are effective in opening new pathways to self-sufficiency and stability. By supporting young people who are experiencing housing insecurity with resources and funding, we are taking an important step to advance the health, safety, and well-being of all New Yorkers. All of us deserve the opportunity to lead lives of dignity and security, and I’m proud of the Council’s efforts to provide that for our city’s youth.”
Throughout the program, CHNY will work with Chapin Hall to collect, track, and analyze data to assess outcomes, including the number of participants who obtain permanent housing, experience improved food security, reduce or eliminate debt, and make progress toward long-term stability.
This new program comes a year after the launch of the Council’s first guaranteed income program for expectant mothers to improve maternal health and reduce child poverty. It was the first time in city history that municipal funds have been utilized for a guaranteed income program. Speaker Adams first announced the intention to initiate city support for anti-poverty guaranteed income programs in her 2023 State of the City Address. The Council then passed Local Law 105 of 2023, sponsored by Council Member Crystal Hudson-, to authorize the City to support guaranteed income programs.
“Once again, Speaker Adams and this Council are leading on making our city more affordable, this time by prioritizing some of our most marginalized residents: housing insecure young New Yorkers,” said Council Member Crystal Hudson. “I was proud to sponsor the legislation that allowed the City to establish direct cash assistance programs and have seen firsthand the success of the pilot program for expectant mothers facing housing insecurity. Simply put, we know these programs work as intended. And with these funds, this cohort of 60 young New Yorkers facing housing insecurity will have the resources needed to secure permanent housing and basic needs like food or utilities. Thanks to Speaker Adams and Covenant House for launching this important, impactful program.”
“I’ll start with the simple fact that no young person in our programs at Covenant House New York aspires for long-term homelessness,” said Dr. Shakeema North-Albert, CEO, Covenant House New York. “The reason they choose to be here is because they have the courage to build their own futures. When Cash with Care was presented to us with the full support of our trusted partners at Chapin Hall, who have already led research tied to this type of youth homelessness prevention, we knew it would be a game-changer for the 60-youth included. This cash assistance will help them reach their housing and financial well-being goals faster, while they gain practical skills and receive emotional support from the staff at Covenant House New York. Though this program, and our wraparound services, we are helping youth build stability and hope through personalized guidance in a loving, non-judgmental environment.”
“We created the Insight to Impact (i2i) partnership with Covenant House with the aim of ending youth homelessness by combining our organizational strengths. Over the last forty years, Chapin Hall has built a highly regarded research infrastructure, including conducting Voices of Youth Count, the first and only national incidence and prevalence study on youth homelessness,” said Bryan Samuels, Chapin Hall Executive Director. “Cash with Care will give us the opportunity to conduct a robust study that will provide us with an understanding of the services and programs young adults across Covenant House residential sites in NYC are accessing to support their exit from homelessness. Through surveys and interviews—ideally extending beyond their program participation—we’ll be able to build a nuanced knowledge base of participants’ experiences with housing, education, employment and overall well-being that will ultimately inform policy and investment in ending youth homelessness.”
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