Liberal city's wild experiment giving young homeless people at state-of-the-art shelter $15,800 in FREE cash from taxpayers
By ALEXA CIMINO, US REPORTER
Published: 16:43 EST, 14 February 2026 | Updated: 22:26 EST, 14 February 2026
Giving homeless young adults up to $15,800 in no-strings-attached cash to spend however they choose may not sound like the most sensible use of taxpayers’ money.
But that is exactly what New York City has started doing under a controversial new experiment, dubbed Cash with Care, which aims to help move youth out of shelters for good.
The pilot provides 60 homeless youths aged 18 to 24 with $1,200 a month for nine months, plus access to a one-time $5,000 lump sum - a total of up to $15,800 per person, no strings attached and with zero spending restrictions.
The $1.5 million program, approved by the City Council in December, immediately raised eyebrows, prompting skepticism not only from taxpayers and City Hall critics, but also from leaders at the facility where the recipients live.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15488169/homeless-covenant-house-new-york-free-cash-taxpayers-experiment.html
