Aging advocates commends the State Senate for recognizing the urgent needs of older New Yorkers by including funding for aging services in its one-house budget proposal.

Across New York State, the network of community-based aging services is facing enormous strain. These programs help older adults remain healthy, independent, and connected to their communities, and in many cases, they are quite literally lifesaving. Legislative funding will make a meaningful difference for the providers and older adults who rely on these services every day.

While the need far exceeds the resources currently available, this proposal represents an important and critical step toward stabilizing a system that millions of older New Yorkers depend on.

The Governor’s Master Plan for Aging laid out a clear roadmap for strengthening services for older New Yorkers. A plan of this urgency cannot sit on a shelf. It must be backed by real investment.

We appreciate that the Senate and Assembly have included an increase to the New York State Office for the Aging’s Target Inflationary Increase; we are however concerned that the Assembly included no additional funding for Proposal 50 of the Master Plan for Aging in its one-house budget proposal. There is still time in the budget process to address this gap. At a time when Medicaid and many safety-net services face uncertainty, New York must continue investing in the programs that allow older adults to age with dignity and independence – and at a fraction of the cost compared to the Medicaid program.

We urge the Governor and Legislature to work together to ensure these critical investments are included in the final enacted state budget.

More about the Age Strong coalition can be found at www.liveon-ny.org/age-strong.

Contact: Brandon Vogel, 518-806-5432