NYC COVID-19 Immigrant Emergency Relief Fund

Print

NYC COVID-19 Immigrant Emergency Relief Fund

Through a $20 million donation from Open Society Foundations to the Mayor’s Fund, the New York City COVID-19 Immigrant Emergency Relief program was able to provide direct monetary support for immigrant workers and their families who were ineligible for federal direct relief through the CARES bill or unemployment insurance. The program reached 76,000+ individuals.

The Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs worked with a diverse network of community-based organizations with deep ties to immigrant communities in New York City and close relationships with community members to connect with hard-to-reach populations and to swiftly deliver the private funding from Open Society Foundations in an efficient manner to those in need. This was made possible thanks to the 34 organizations below and many other community-based organizations that have helped MOIA identify eligible community members in need.

  1. Arab American Association of New York (AAANY)
  2. Asian Americans for Equality (AAFE)
  3. African Communities Together (ACT)
  4. Anti-Violence Project (AVP)
  5. Asian American Federation (AAF)
  6. BronxWorks
  7. CAMBA
  8. Carroll Gardens Associates Inc. (CGA)
  9. Catholic Charities Community Services of the Archdiocese of New York (CCCS)
  10. Center for Family Life – SCO Family of Services (CFL)
  11. Chhaya
  12. Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC)
  13. Caribbean Women's Health Association (CWHA)
  14. Damayan Migrant Workers Association
  15. Desis Rising Up & Moving (DRUM)
  16. Haitian-American Community Coalition (HCC)
  17. Haitian Americans United for Progress (HAUP)
  18. La Colmena
  19. Laundry Workers Center
  20. Life of Hope (LOH)
  21. Make the Road New York (MRNY)
  22. MinKwon Center
  23. Mixteca Organization, Inc.
  24. New Immigrant Community Empowerment (NICE)
  25. Northern Manhattan Coalition for Immigrant Rights (NMCIR)
  26. Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation (NMIC)
  27. New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health (NYCOSH)
  28. Project Hospitality
  29. Sauti Yetu Center for African Women and Families
  30. Sunnyside Community Services (SCS)
  31. Translatinx Network
  32. Urban Justice Center (UJC)
  33. Voces Latinas
  34. Workers’ Justice Project (WJP)

The demand for and positive impact of the program clearly demonstrated continued need for support, with housing and food assistance being among the key needs. Having seen how great these needs were, it helped launch additional programs like FASTEN (Funds and Services for Tenants Experiencing Need) which offers eviction prevention services and financial resources, including rent relief, to help vulnerable and underserved New York City residents, regardless of immigration status, stay in their homes as the COVID-19 crisis continues.

If you have questions about how to access City services, assistance, or immigration legal help, help is available in your language. Call the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) hotline at 212-788-7654, Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm, or send an email to AskMOIA@cityhall.nyc.gov. 

Many resources are available to all New Yorkers. Your immigration status and income do not matter. Learn more about health, housing, food, and other resources for immigrant New Yorkers at nyc.gov/immigrants/coronavirus.