ALERT: Advocacy for $177 million for Aging Services

LiveOn NY’s State Legislative Conference Launches Statewide Advocacy Campaign To Fund And Modernize Aging Services!

$177 Million Multi-Year Package To Fund Services And Strengthen The Aging Services Workforce

WHAT IS HAPPENING:

• On February 1st, seventy five people from across NY state attended LiveOn NY’s conference. The multi-year $177 million budget agenda was discussed.
• Discussions about strengthening the aging services workforce, NY Connects, CSE funding for waiting lists, elder abuse and caregiving and other issues were discussed.
• Participants worked in small groups to discuss how these issues impacted their community and seniors they serve. They also brainstormed on ideas of how to do follow up locally.
• On February 2nd, visits were made to Assembymembers and Senators, to discuss the budget agenda.

WHAT YOU CAN DO – MAKING THE $177 MILLION AGENDA LOCAL

• The state budget will be completed by March 31st. It is important to meet with your local Assemblymembers and Senators as soon as possible. You can arrange for a private meeting and/or invite them to a local senior center or some other community site to specifically discuss the $177 million agenda.
• Click here to find contact information on your state Assemblymember.
• Click here to find contact information on your state Senator.
• At a senior center or other site, hold a budget forum with seniors asking questions about the budget agenda. They can choose 1-2 items to ask about. It’s more impactful to have seniors asking the questions.
• There may be priorities within the agenda that particularly impact you community. You can focus on those issues. Please give the legislators a copy of the whole $177 million agenda.
• Invite local press in to cover any meeting you have at a senior center or another public site. Take photos of the legislators and seniors to send to the press. Legislators could put the photos in their newsletter, website, Facebook, etc.
• Have seniors, agency staff, and other community leaders make phone calls and send letters to your state Assemblymember(s) and Senator(s). You can put them in bulk in a large envelope and mail to the legislator’s Albany office. Model letters are included with this alert that you can print out. Go to the websites above to find contact information and mailing addresses for your legislators.

Model Letters

State Assembly letter - English
State Assembly letter - Spanish
State Assembly letter - Chinese
State Senate letter - English
State Senate letter - Spanish
State Senate letter - Chinese

TESTIMONY: Support of Zoning for Quality and Affordability

New York City Council, Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises

Council Member Donovan Richards, Chair

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Testimony by Bobbie Sackman, Director of Public Policy, LiveOn NY in support of Zoning for Quality and Affordability (ZQA)

LiveOn NY is a non‐profit organization that makes New York a better place to age by working on policy, advocacy and innovative programs. We have a membership base of 100 organizations that provide more than 800 community based programs, which range from individual community‐based centers to large multi‐service organizations. LiveOn NY’s Affordable Senior Housing Coalition is comprised of 25 of the leading NYC non‐ profit senior housing providers. LiveOn NY’s policy and advocacy work focuses on community‐based services, affordable senior housing with services, elder abuse prevention and services, caregiver supports and other issues impacting older New Yorkers. We also run a robust outreach and enrollment program to assist older adults to access public benefits.  

LiveOn NY’s Affordable Senior Housing Coalition, comprised of the 25 leading NYC nonprofit senior housing providers, supports the passage of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Zoning for Quality and Affordability (ZQA) amendment which would facilitate the building of senior housing. Older adults isolated in 4 story walk ups, or paying more than 50% of their income in rent, or living in substandard, unsafe apartments is not independence. Independence is living in affordable housing with supportive services and a community. At age 65, 70 or older, waiting up to ten years for housing, if it’s available at all, is much too long.  

Because LiveOn NY’s members work daily with the older adults in their communities across the city, we know the dire need that exists for affordable senior housing among the city’s most vulnerable residents.  We also know that Council Members and elected officials receive calls daily from constituents who desperately need safe affordable senior housing.  Supporting ZQA is a critical first step in addressing NYC’s affordable senior housing crisis. Seniors can’t wait.  

LiveOn NY’s recent survey of HUD Section 202 senior housing buildings in New York City, “Through the Roof ‐  Waiting Lists for Senior Housing,” documented waiting lists at 119 buildings.  The results were an astounding 102,000 seniors waiting an average of 7 years and as long as ten years on the waitlist. Responses were received from 43% of the Section 202 buildings in the five boroughs, projecting that waiting lists are upwards of 200,000 low income seniors citywide.  

Through the Roof ‐ Waiting Lists for Senior Housing Survey Results, January 26, 2016

The reality is that with the waitlist crisis for HUD 202 Affordable Senior Housing buildings reaching these astronomical numbers, coupled with outdated zoning requirements that add years and years of unnecessary delay to the affordable senior housing development process, the deck is stacked against the tens of thousands of NYC older adults who are perishing on waitlists.  These seniors do not have the luxury of waiting through the current pre‐development and development process, which spans over years and years because of outdated regulations and procedures.   These delays also cost affordable housing developers and governmental agencies an inordinate amount of money, which should be spent on building affordable apartments.  By enacting ZQA, we can move forward on affordable senior housing.  

The diverse age 60+ population is the fastest growing segment of the city’s population. One out of five seniors live in poverty, with thousands more in near poverty. Upwards of 100,000 seniors spend more than 50% of their income on rent. Building affordable senior housing with services is a citywide imperative. ZQA would allow nonprofit housing providers to utilize parking lots attached to the Section 202 buildings, land they own, to build additional housing. LiveOn NY’s report, “Paving the Way for New Senior Housing”, identified 39 parking lots that were feasible for building an additional 2000 units and other community amenities such as a senior center on. Without the passage of ZQA as proposed by the administration, these lots will sit underutilized and undeveloped.  

If there was available land to build affordable senior housing across the city, would you use it? There is. The key to using it is passing ZQA for independent senior buildings. LiveOn NY released, “Paving the Way for New Senior Housing”, identifying feasible land that could house 2000 older New Yorkers. The city needs to a plan to move forward now. At a certain age, you can’t wait.  

Why are seniors constantly calling their Council Members and elected officials desperate for affordable housing? Older New Yorkers, the fastest growing demographic in NYC, will comprise an estimated 1.84 million New Yorkers by 2030. Senior households are smaller and poorer on average than the general population. About one in five older New Yorkers live in poverty (below $11,170/year) with many surviving on Social Security alone.   2 Borough Number of 202 Properties Responded to Survey Total Number of 202s in borough Percentage of 202s Reporting Total on waitlist Brooklyn 42 85 49% 43,815 Bronx 18 78 23% 9,909 Manhattan 28 76 37% 15,684 Queens 25 29 86% 27,468 Staten Island 2 8 25% 950 Unknown borough 4 4,110 TOTAL ALL PROPERTIES 119 276 43% 101,936 LiveOn NY • 49 West 45th Street•7th Floor• New York, NY 10036• 212.398.6565    

How are seniors impacted by the housing affordability crisis? A shocking 65% of senior households living in rent regulated housing, including thousands on SCRIE, spend more than half their income on rent. For those in unregulated buildings the burden is greater.  Insufficient affordable housing forces seniors to remain isolated in unsafe or inappropriate housing. This includes living on upper floors of walk ups or in spaces unable to accommodate a wheelchair.  

Why is utilizing HUD 202 parking lots one part of the solution to the affordable housing crisis? Land scarcity is the greatest challenge confronting senior housing providers. In the face of a dwindling stock of city‐owned land and soaring acquisition costs, HUD 202 parking lots are an untapped source of new land. The lots are owned by local non‐profit housing providers mission driven to provide appropriately sized apartments ensuring senior independence.  

Zoning changes would not require eliminating parking, but becomes a powerful option if it’s in the best interest of the community’s elders. Local non‐profits have been an integral community partner for decades providing senior housing and services and are the organizations relied upon by local residents and elected officials.  

What did the study, “Paving the Way for New Senior Housing in NYC” find?  LiveOn NY’s affordable senior housing coalition is comprised of leading NYC non‐profit senior housing providers, operating 20,000 apartments. Their knowledge of the challenges in building affordable housing informed the study. It is critical to understand that these parking lots can be used only by residents of the building.

Based on carefully determined criteria, 39 lots were identified as potentially feasible sites located in all five boroughs. These sites could generate at least 2,000 new apartments. With hundreds of thousands on waiting lists, the potential to house at least 2,000 seniors cannot be ignored.

Will utilizing parking lot land for housing take away much needed parking spaces? Simply put, no. A Department of City Planning analysis found extremely low car ownership rates among HUD 202 building residents, at only 5 cars per 100 residents in areas near public transportation and 11 cars per 100 residents in areas further from transit.  

Why is utilization so low? Many residents have incomes below $15,000 and have aged in place and no longer drive. They are unable to maintain car ownership or have stopped driving. There are waiting lists for apartments.  There are no waiting lists for parking. Non‐profit managers provide vans to assist residents with their daily needs.  

Why is ZQA necessary to move senior housing forward? Without the enactment of ZQA, the parking lots will sit underutilized. Non‐profits will be unable to build housing. Outdated parking lot requirements no longer reflect the reality of demand. ZQA provides options for non‐profits to build more housing. It costs $20,000‐ $50,000 to develop one parking spot. That money could be used for additional apartments allowing the provider to go deeper into affordability. Allowing for increased height of one or two floors provides more apartments and commercial space. It prevents apartments being on street level, a particularly unsafe practice after Hurricane Sandy.   

Accessory amenities are a key component in the neighborhood development approach to keep seniors housed with services.  ZQA facilitates the co‐location of services.

How can the city “pave the way” for more senior housing? By enacting ZQA, zoning regulations will be updated to meet the growing need in the coming years.  ZQA that allows for underutilized land – a scarcity in NYC – to house 2000 or more seniors is imperative.  

If not, the final question is – what do you say to a senior desperate for affordable housing about why that lot is just sitting? Waiting is not an option.  As a City Council Member, you face a very important decision with this vote on ZQA.  We ask that you please keep the needs of seniors in mind when considering your vote on ZQA.

FACT SHEET: Zoning for Quality and Affordability

Supporting ZQA is a critical first step in addressing NYC’s affordable senior housing crisis. Seniors can’t wait.

• ZQA can help the 200,000 seniors currently on waitlists city‐wide Upwards of 200,000 low income seniors are waiting an average of 7 years and as long as ten years for housing as projected by LiveOn NY’s 2016 Through the Roof ‐ Waiting Lists for Senior Housing. 
• ZQA will allow community‐based nonprofits to build new senior housing on untapped land   LiveOn NY’s recent report Paving the Way for New Senior Housing identified 39 affordable senior housing lots that could support over 2,000 new units of affordable senior housing, as well as social and health services, gardens, and other community uses.    
• ZQA provides flexibility for community nonprofits to build on lots where there is an extremely low demand for parking spaces, and assess the need on a building by building basis Car ownership at senior housing buildings is shockingly low at only 5 cars per 100 residents (5%) near transit and only slightly higher at 11 cars per 100 (11%) residents in further from transit, according to the Department of City Planning. These underutilized lots are only for senior residents, so this does not impact any public parking. At a cost of $20,000‐$50,000 per parking lot, this money could be better used to build apartments.   
• ZQA can work to address the needs of the nearly one million housing insecure New Yorkers There are 942,553 “housing insecure” households, including those who are homeless, and those paying more than half of their monthly income on housing, according to the Enterprise 2015 NYC Housing Security Profile and Affordable Housing Gap Analysis.
•  ZQA can provide common sense solutions to build affordable housing more efficiently and effectively to meet the needs of New Yorkers Current regulations result in years of unnecessary delays and costs to build affordable housing. In a city with hundreds of thousands of seniors on waitlists, we cannot afford to wait.

Please keep the needs of seniors in mind when considering your vote on ZQA.

LiveOn NY Affordable Senior Housing Coalition: Catholic Charities Brooklyn & Queens ▪ Association of New York Catholic Homes Catholic Charities Archdiocese ▪ Chinese American Planning Council, Inc ▪ Community Agency for Senior Citizens (CASC) ▪ Encore Community Services ▪ Goddard Riverside Senior Services ▪ HANAC, Inc. ▪ James Lenox House & Carnegie East House Association ▪  Jewish Association Serving the Aging (JASA) ▪ Jewish Home Lifecare ▪ Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty ▪ Mid‐Bronx Senior Citizens Council ▪ New York Foundation for Senior Citizens ▪ Presbyterian Senior Services ▪ Project Find ▪ Queens Community House ▪  Regional Aid for Interim Needs, Inc. (R.A.I.N.) ▪ Ridgewood Bushwick Senior Citizens Council ▪ SEBCO Senior Services ▪ Selfhelp Community Services ▪ Sunnyside Community Services ▪ The Hebrew Home at Riverdale ▪ West Side Federation for Senior & Supportive Housing ▪ YM‐YWHA of Washington Heights/Inwood

200,000 seniors wait an average of 7 years for affordable housing. Please keep the needs of seniors in mind when considering your vote on ZQA.

ALERT: Fair Share Campaign Kickoff

Printable Verison for this Alert note: acrobat format

MAYOR de BLASIO’S FY 17 PRELIMINARY BUDGET DOESN’T FUND UNMET NEEDS OF OLDER NEW YORKERS AND AGING SERVICES PROGRAMS

REVIEW LiveOn NY’s FY17 BUDGET AGENDA

HOLD THE DATE FOR LiveOn NY’s 21st CITY HALL ADVOCACY DAY – WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016 – 9:00 am – 1:00 pm

WHAT IS HAPPENING:

• Only $5.3 million added into DFTA’s budget - Mayor Bill de Blasio’s FY17 budget released January 21st, added little new funding to the Department for the Aging’s budget - $5.3 million.
• Good news - $3.5 million in elder abuse funding – The preliminary budget included additional funding for elder abuse victim services, baselining $2 million (makes it permanent). It also funds the Multi-Disciplinary Teams (MDT) model for the first time, $1.5 million. MDTs bring together professionals from an array of disciplines to review a case and develop a plan.
• Funding for Friendly Visiting added - $1.8 million was added into DFTA’s budget as part of the mayor’s mental health initiative. This is in addition to the $1.4 million allocated already for mental health services at about 20-25 senior centers. DFTA has not yet announced which senior centers.
• LiveOn NY’s $34.3 million budget agenda – Funding was not included for case management, home care, congregate and home-delivered meal costs, adult day services and other core programs. This will lead to waiting lists for some services.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

• REVIEW THE ATTACHED BUDGET AGENDA WITH YOUR STAFF, AGENCY MANAGEMENT STAFF AND SENIOR CITIZENS: It is very important that you take the time to go over the budget agenda – all these services and funding needs are familiar to you. Familiarizing your agency with budget agenda is critical.
• Share the budget agenda with your Councilmember(s): When they visit your senior center, NORC or other program, it is essential that you discuss the budget agenda with them. You could set up a budget forum with seniors at the center and ask the Councilmember questions. Please contact LiveOn NY if you’re interested to do this and we could provide assistance.
• May 11th City Hall Advocacy Day: Please leave that day open to bring seniors to meet with their Councilmembers at 250 Broadway and attend a City Hall press conference. LiveOn NY will be reaching out to you in March.

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FAIR SHARE CAMPAIGN FOR OLDER NEW YORKERS!

AGE EQUALITY BUDGET: INVESTING IN COMMUNITY-BASED AGING SERVICES IS AN INVESTMENT IN NYC’S DIVERSE ELDERLY COMMUNITIES

FY17 BUDGET PRIORITIES
APRIL 1, 2016

Community-based aging services funded through the Department for the Aging have been on the front lines of serving elderly immigrants and the diverse population of older New Yorkers for many years.  Current resources do not allow senior services staff to connect with the broad array and ever changing immigrant groups and other diverse populations. The $35.3 million budget priorities for FY17 reflect community supports for all older New Yorkers addressing:

• Senior nutrition/anti-hunger programs
• Affordable senior housing supports
• Economic security - access to benefits
• Elder abuse
• Social isolation
• Supporting family caregivers
• Culturally competent neighborhood based services

SERVICES	FY16 Adopted Budget – July 2015 – June 2016	FY17 Mayor’s Preliminary Budget – added funds	LiveOn NY FY17 Budget Priorities – additional funding
Case management	$3.0 million	$0	$3.0 million
Per meal reimbursement	$0	$0	$3.3 million
HMDL utilization capacity	$1.8 million*	$0	-
NORCs	$3.8 million	$0	$4.0 million
Elder Abuse Victims Assistance	$3.1 million	$3.5 million*	$3.0 million
Adult Day Services	$950,000	$0	$2.3 million
Senior Center rent (space)	$1.1 million	$0	$1.1 million
Transportation	$660,000	$0	$2.0 million
6th weekend congregate meal	$600,000	$0	$600,000
Innovative Senior Centers – immigrant communities	$0	$0	$2.0 million
ESL/Citizenship classes/cultural competency training in senior centers	$0	$0	$1.0 million
Social workers in senior centers and senior buildings (service coordinator)	$1.4 million- MH Services in sr centers* $750,000-Services in housing for seniors from homeless shelters*	$1.8 million * (friendly visiting – mental health roadmap)	$9.0 million
Caregiver supports	$0	$0	$4.0 million
TOTAL	$16.5 million	$5.3 million	$35.3 million

*Baselined - rest of funding was NOT baselined (funded for one year only)

ALERT: Advocacy Works: $34 Million for Senior Services

Model Letters

FY16 Budget Thank You City Council Model Letter
FY16 Budget Thank You Mayor de Blasio Model Letter

ALERT: ADVOCACY WORKS! FAIR SHARE FOR SENIORS!

$20 MILLION ALLOCATED TO DEPARTMENT FOR THE AGING BUDGET FOR LiveOn NY PRIORITIES!

SEE LINK TO SCHEDULE C BELOW FOR ALL $34 MILLION OF DFTA FUNDING

Funding for Waiting Lists:

• Home Delivered Meals – $1.8 million – Will increase capacity of meals-on-wheels system by 300,000 meals annually, a 5% increase, to prevent waiting lists. These are baselined funds.
• Home Care – $4.3 million – Funding to eliminate the home care waiting list of 500+ homebound seniors. LiveOn NY will look into how these funds will be allocated and the process for assessing the seniors. These are baselined funds.
• Case management - $3 million – Addresses waiting list of 2000 homebound seniors waiting to be assessed and served by case managers. City Council funding is for one year so funds are not baselined.

New services:

• Elder abuse – $2 million for elder abuse RFP – $2 million was allocated for elder abuse bringing the total city funding to $2.8 million. These are baselined funds. New contracts begin July 1, 2015.
• Mental health services in senior centers - $800,000 in FY16 and $1.4 million in FY17 – A pilot program to provide a social worker at the 20 largest senior centers, which serve at least 100 seniors a day. Social workers will work to coordinate behavioral health, psychiatric, and medical treatment to treat illnesses such as depression, anxiety, and bi-polar disorder.
• Service Coordinators in Senior Residences – $750,000 - LiveOn NY’s Housing Coalition has made funding for service coordinators in senior residences such as 202 buildings a priority. It is a breakthrough that the de Blasio administration is using expense dollars for this purpose. The $750,000 is for five years and will fund 500 units per year. LiveOn NY will provide updates as more information is known.

There is additional funding for DFTA. To see Schedule C which includes the full City Council allocations for DFTA and community-based organizations, go to:
http://council.nyc.gov/html/budget/2016/skedcf.pdf

NEXT STEPS: Please have seniors sign thank you letters to your Councilmember(s) and Mayor Bill de Blasio – CLICK HERE to see model letters. You can mail them in bulk.

LiveOn NY THANKS THE AGING NETWORK – TOGETHER WE BROUGHT 1000 SENIORS TO CITY HALL OVER THREE MONTHS AND DELIVERED THE MESSAGE – FAIR SHARE FOR SENIORS!

For further information, you can contact Bobbie Sackman, Director of Public Policy, 212-398-6565 x226, bsackman@liveon-ny.org or Andrea Cianfrani, Deputy Director of Public Policy, x226, acianfrani@liveon-ny.org