New York has been rapidly approving aid requests from those who had previously been unable to participate in the various pandemic aid programs, drawing  from a $2.1 billion fund Albany had set aside for this purpose, said Bloomberg. The city so far has approved thousands of applications, disbursing $550 million from the fund to cooks, nannies, cleaners and others who lost their jobs in the pandemic but were not eligible for federal aid, mostly (but not entirely) due to immigration status. 

Fund recipients are eligible for $15,600 or $3,200 depending on proof of previous employment, a 50 percent drop in income, identity and state residence. The vast majority, 99 percent, of applicants have received the $15,600 amount, which required formal documentation such as income tax returns and a New York drivers license, versus less formal ones such as a utility bill to prove residence. While the amount is far below what people on average have gotten over the past two years, it remains the largest state payout by far for such individuals. 

The program is the result of intense grassroots struggle from New York activist groups, who spent months agitating for relief for those who hadn't qualified for previous aid programs, including protests (both marches and occupations), bridge shutdowns, and a 23-day hunger strike. Observers have noted the speed at which Albany is moving, which is a marked contrast to its distribution of rental aid.