LiveOn NY's Advocacy Secures Critical Funding for
Older New Yorkers and Community-Based Organizations
This week, the Adams Administration and the New York City Council, under the leadership of Speaker Adrienne Adams and Finance Chair Justin Brannan passed the Adopted City Budget for Fiscal Year 2023, totaling in $101 billion in spending. This budget moves the aging services sector in the right direction, from a significant human services workforce investment to additional funding for home-delivered meals to keep older adults fed.
LiveOn NY gives our thanks to all who advocated for the needs of older New Yorkers during this year's budget negotiations, including to Chair of the City Council Aging Committee, Council Member Crystal Hudson. We also give our deepest thanks to our members and our partners in advocacy. Whether you participated in LiveOn's Advocacy Day, joined our social media actions, reached out to your Council Member, or called for #EquityforAging and #JustPay, you made each and every gain possible.
Nonetheless, we know that there is still work to be done and we are committed to continuing to fight to make New York a better place to age in the coming years.
Below, see a recap of funding related to LiveOn NY advocacy priorities and of note to our sector.
Please note that the below is based off of the information currently available, we will continue to update this for accuracy as new details are released.
Funding wins resulting from the Mayor’s Preliminary Budget, City Council’s Preliminary Budget Response, and the Mayor’s Executive Budget, include:
Continued commitment to the previously announced home-delivered meal reimbursement rate increase totaling $2.3 million in new funding in FY22, and $9.4 million in FY23.
$14.9 Million, baselined, for Recovery Meal Transition, encompassing $8.8 million for home-delivered meals, and $6 million for case management.
$3.2 million, baselined, for Geriatric Mental Health expansion.
Funding wins resulting from the Adopted Budget include:
$60 million in baselined funding for human services workers.
This is in response to the 5.4% Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) or $86 million that LiveOn NY and partners, led by Human Services Council, had advocated in the Just Pay campaign. Note this represents total funding available, but does not discern the details of how funds will be allocated across programs, positions, and organizations, all of which are critical details. We will share as we learn more about how this funding will be implemented.
$3 million in one-time funds for IT education for older adults.
$3 million in one-time funds for case management.
$6.2 million in one-time funds for Recovery Meals Transition.
$5 Billion in "Support for the New York City Housing Authority and the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development affordable housing programs"
$19.2 Million for "Additional staff and services at Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD)."
$8.6 Million for Language Access Expansion.
$14 Million to "Increase access to benefits by expanding capacity for community-based organizations."
City Council Discretionary funding wins and updates include:
In addition, LiveOn NY is pleased to see restored funding for all aging discretionary initiatives, with a slight reduction for NORCs of $309,299 taken in FY22 and carried into FY23.
This funding is critical and includes initiatives such as: Support Our Seniors, NORCs, Social Adult Day Care, LGBTQ Senior Services in Every Borough, Senior Centers for Immigrant Populations, and others. LiveOn NY will work with our partners to understand the impacts of the NORC discretionary funding reductions and will share as we know more.
Click here for the full Discretionary Funding "Schedule C" Document
LiveOn NY is proud of the progress made, and even more proud to advocate for this incredible sector. We look forward to continuing to work together to make New York a better, more equitable place to age.
LiveOn NY continues to analyze the budget for additional details of interest to our sector, the above represents our analysis based off of the information currently available. We will update this for accuracy as new details emerge.
Questions?
Katelyn Andrews, Director of Public Policy and External Affairs, at kandrews@liveon-ny.org
or
Brianna Paden-Williams, Communications and Policy Associate, at bpaden-williams@liveon-ny.org