The City Council will provide “unconditional” direct cash assistance to 161 expectant mothers who are homeless or on the verge of homelessness over the next three years under a new initiative launched on Wednesday.
The pilot initiative will be administered by the guaranteed income nonprofit The Bridge Project, and aims to combat the financial and health risks expectant mothers without a stable home face. Those risks include being pushed into the city’s shelter system and diminished mental and physical health both during and after pregnancy.
City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, during a Wednesday press conference unveiling the pilot program, said it marks the first time city taxpayer dollars have been used to fund guaranteed income payments.
“As a city and nation, we have the resources to improve maternal health, reduce child poverty, and ensure that every child and family has the opportunity to lead a healthy life,” Speaker Adams said. “Investments like this, into our city’s mothers and children, have a generational impact, lasting far beyond the confines of this program.”
Under the program, according to City Council Member Crystal Hudson (D-Brooklyn), the Bridge Project will give the expectant mothers a $2,500 upfront stipend, followed by $1,000 each month over the first 15 months, and then $500 a month for the remaining 21 months. The monthly payments can be used for necessities such as paying rent, purchasing food or affording pre-natal health care.
“The bridge project’s groundbreaking initiative both addresses child poverty and promotes the long-term wellbering of New Yorkers,” Hudson said. “It will ensure expectant mothers have consistent income that can be used for anything including housing or quality pre-natal care and that’s the beauty of this program, that this is all up to the mother’s discretion, and they have a right to make their own financial decisions.”
The scheme was authorized by council legislation, sponsored by Hudson, passed in 2023 allowing the city to fund guaranteed income pilot programs and is backed by $1.5 million included in the current city budget.
Laura Clancy, executive director of The Bridge Project, said mothers who have already gone through the organization’s program have reported “significant improvements” in their financial stability and that they are able to spend more time with their young babies.
“They have been able to keep up with bills, move into stable housing and make long-term investments in their career and their education,” Clancy said. “These are not just statistics. They are stories of hope and resilience.”
