Adios! Homeless Offered Free Airfare To Leave NYC

Paris? Orlando? San Juan? New York City is buying one-way plane tickets for homeless families to leave the city. It’s part of a Bloomberg administration program to keep the homeless out of the expensive shelter system, which costs $36,000 a year per family. More than 550 families have left the city since 2007. All it takes is for a relative to agree to take them in. According to nyc.gov, the official Web site of city government, more than 35,000 people are currently in shelters in and around the city.

The city employs a travel agency to book one-way tickets for domestic travel and the Department of Homeless Services handles all international travel.

City officials say there are no limits on where a family can be sent and families can reject the offer and stay in city shelters.

So far, families have been sent to 24 states and 5 continents, mostly to Puerto Rico, Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas.

City officials say none of the relocated families have returned to city shelters.

{CBS Broadcasting/Matzav.com Newscenter}