Women Aging into Poverty in New York City

LiveOn NY Testimony on the record:

New York City Council Joint Hearing
Committee on Aging and Committee on Women
Chairs: Council Member Chin and Council Member Rosenthal
Oversight: Women Aging into Poverty in New York City
January 23, 2019

LiveOn NY would like to first and foremost thank Chairs Chin and Rosenthal for the opportunity to testify on the important topic of women aging into poverty in New York City.

The numbers are staggering. Currently one in five older women are living below the poverty level, a figure higher than their male counterparts. More specifically, the National Institute on Retirement Security reports that women over the age of 65 are 80% more likely than men to be impoverished. To understand just why more and more women are aging into poverty, one must first look to the structural struggles women face throughout their lives, especially for women of earlier generations. Despite progress, women can still expect to make 80% of their male counterparts, according to PEW. Compounding this, years of inferior wages means that women are, by default, less able to save and prepare for old age.

Beyond low wages, women often experience the financial strains of caring for a loved one. In New York, an estimated 80% of those caring for older loved ones are women – a point that becomes worrisome when coupled with the fact that the average caregiver will personally experience an estimated $660,000 in lost wages and benefits over a lifetime, as well as an estimated $5,500 out of pocket expenses annually.

Considering the multitude of other factors that may further lead to or exacerbate poverty among older women, the situation becomes increasingly bleak. These factors include:

• Women often receive less social security than men, yet live longer on average, posing particular challenges of maintaining a fixed income;

• Immigrant women and women of color earn less than Caucasian women, at almost all levels of work;

• 1.6 million Americans do not receive any Social Security benefits, the majority of whom are immigrants;

• Older women seeking to return to the workforce to increase one’s income face difficulties as 3 out of 5 older adults report seeing or experiencing age discrimination; and

• Increasing rents and a lack of affordable housing also works in opposition to the fixed incomes often experienced in later years, an estimated 31% of the nation’s homeless population are 50+

These are the stats; but our team at LiveOn NY sees these needs every day in our work with older adults, as do our members through the programs they provide such as senior centers, case management and home delivered meals, among many others.  Through LiveOn NY’s Benefits Program, the individuals who come to us for application assistance are overwhelmingly women – nearly three times as many woman as men. Many are living on as little as $15,000 a year. Some are displaced workers who relied on their spouse’s income, and others left the workforce early to care for a loved one, causing their Social Security benefits to be lower than it otherwise would have been. And through our RISE program, we see firsthand the lack of information available to older adults in the community. Further, in many instances at LiveOn NY’s Financial Fitness presentations, older women often share with us that due to historical family roles over their lifetimes, many of them were not involved in the management of finances in their families and they lack the information and basic background on many finance principles.

These examples are the tip of the iceberg when it comes to identifying just why older adults, and particularly women, are increasingly aging into poverty.

Now, what can New York do to combat this?

While society at large, as well as all levels of government, must confront the larger systemic constructs that all but continue to ensure poverty among older women of the future, the City can and must do more to support older women who are in many ways a product of this unequal society. Better supporting services funded through the Department for the Aging (DFTA) represents one of the clearest ways to improve the lives of older female New Yorkers.

Below are a few concrete examples of DFTA services that through additional support, the city could directly and positively impact this population:

1. For older women living in poverty, quality nutrition is an incredibly important service that the City can and should fulfill. Within DFTA’s home-delivered meal program, 81% of meal recipients note that home-delivered meals improve their overall health. The majority of seniors utilizing the program tend to be women, living alone, receiving meals that on average account for ½ or more of their total food for the day. To better support the home-delivered and congregate meals programs, the City must increase funding by $20 million to ensure the solvency of the program, the availability of culturally competent options, and increased quality of the meals provided.

2. Further, it is imperative that further recognition be given to the role that the entire network of aging services plays in alleviating the burdens of caregiving for many. By increasing funding for services such as senior centers and NORCs to ensure that quality program can continue in spite of rising costs, the city is investing in an outlet for aging New Yorkers and peace of mind for the thousands of family members who find solace and respite in these program’s existence.

3. The city must continue to expand its Geriatric Mental Health Initiative (GMHI) created through Thrive NYC, as almost half of women over the age of 75 live alone, a point that requires increased mental health services as loneliness has been found to be a greater predictor of morbidity than obesity. The GMHI initiative appears ripe for expansion as only 25 of DFTA’s more than 250 senior centers are able to participate in this life sustaining program.

4. Finally, the city must increase funding for the gamut of human services programs, DFTA and otherwise, as 3 out of 4 human services workers are women, almost half of whom are making less than $15 per hour. By improving the salaries of chefs at senior centers, early childhood educators, and NORC directors, as a few examples, the city can take a powerful step towards supporting the women of today and older women of tomorrow.

LiveOn NY looks forward to working with the City to ensure that all women and all individuals have access to meaningful, quality supports to age with dignity and independence.

News & Press Releases Featuring LiveOn NY

At LiveOn NY, we work hard to make sure that the public hears about the issues affecting older New Yorkers, as well as the incredible momentum that exists as we grow old. To this aim, we are proud of each and every time we are able to share this narrative with our local communities or to comment on a topic effecting older New Yorkers.

Below are a few articles & press releases including our work: 

January 16, 2019 “De Blasio Administration Financed More Than 34,000 Affordable Homes in 2018 – A New Record” press release from NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development

“LiveOn NY is appreciative of the monumental effort that goes into every unit of affordable housing and we are heartened by the impact that these homes will have, particularly on the lives of New York’s older adults.”

— Allison Nickerson, Executive Director

December 6, 2018 “The Housing Crisis Continues for NYC Seniors” article by Maitefa Angaza in Our Time Press

November 27, 2018 "From Rent Regs to Rezonings, 2019 Will Feature Key Housing Policy Fights" article by Sadef Ali Kully in City Limits

November 19, 2018 “Mayor de Blasio Announces Donna Corrado Stepping Down as DFTA Commissioner” press release from the Office of Mayor de Blasio

November 16, 2018 “New York City nonprofits had a big day at the City Council” article by Zach Williams in New York Nonprofit Media

November 13, 2018 “New Coalition of Affordable Housing Industry Leaders, Tenant Advocates and Labor Calls for Crucial Reforms to State Rent Laws” press release from Enterprise Community Partners

November 8, 2018 “NYC approves its first CCRC” article from Advanced Senior Care, also reported in Crain’s New York and the Jewish Voice

We look forward to continuing to weigh in on aging issues throughout New York City, for upcoming press inquiries, please reach out to Katelyn Hosey at khosey@liveon-ny.org or 212-398-6565 x. 244

LiveOn NY Opposes Proposed Public Charge Rule

The following comments were submitted on the record to the Department of Homeland Security in opposition to the proposed public charge rule:

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LiveOn NY Opposition to Proposed Rule in
DHS Docket No. USCIS-2010-0012
December 5, 2018

LiveOn NY is a nonprofit membership organization representing 100 community-based organizations serving 300,000 older New Yorkers annually through senior centers, congregate and home-delivered meals, NORCs, affordable senior housing and other services.

LiveOn NY strongly opposes the proposed Public Charge Rule.

Public Benefits are Critical to Supporting Health and Independence

Public benefits are for everyone, particularly older adults. In New York City, 50% of the older adult population are immigrants, and we oppose any Rule that would deny or deter access to public benefits based on immigration status to those in need of these supports.

Further, 89% of adults over age 50 say they wish to age in place as long as possible, and the availability of these benefits, coupled with community based services are critical to supporting older New Yorkers to remain healthy and independent in their communities.

That said, we also know that public benefit programs are already disproportionately underutilized by older New Yorkers, in part because of the stigma surrounding them. For example an alarming 56% of eligible older adults in NYC do not receive food stamps. For SCRIE, also known as the Rent Freeze program, according a NYC Department of Finance report, the underutilization rate is even more drastic: only 43 percent of those eligible for SCRIE (approximately 52,000 households out of 121,729) actually are actually enrolled in the program.

The Proposed Public Charge Rule will Have a Drastic Effect on Older Adults

First, the Proposed Rule includes examining usage of critical benefits for older adults such as Medicare Part D, Medicaid home and community based services, the Supplemental Nutrition Program (SNAP) and others. It cannot be understated that these programs keep older New Yorkers in their homes and communities, and further decrease the need for more costly levels of care. According to the National Council on Aging (NCOA):

• 4.5 million households with at least one person over the age of 60 receives SNAP.

• About 12 million older adults are enrolled in both Medicare and Medicaid. This population utilizes Medicaid for long-term care, which includes home and community-based services, as well as other services not covered by Medicare.

Second, being over 61 will be considered a “negative” factor, as well as a person’s health status if it is deemed to interfere with their ability to work. All of the considerations noted above will only exacerbate the aforementioned reality that benefit programs are already disproportionately underutilized by older New Yorkers. Our Benefits Outreach team has already received questions about how an individual could go about canceling their benefits in fear that remaining enrolled in the program would negatively impact the individual or family’s immigration status.

LiveOn NY’s mission is to make New York a better place to age and strongly believes that we all should have the dignity, support and ability to age well in our communities. Therefore, LiveOn NY strongly oppose these Proposed Public Charge Rule, as it will have negative implications for those who rely on these critical supports.

LiveOn NY Joins Call for Rent Regulation Reforms

LiveOn NY is proud to join a diverse Coalition of advocates to call for reforms to strengthen New York’s rent regulation laws, set to expire this June.

Organizations in the Coalition include: Enterprise Community Partners, New York State Association for Affordable Housing (NYSAFAH), The Legal Aid Society, New York Housing Conference, Community Service Society of New York, Housing Rights Initiative, Coalition for the Homeless, LISC NYC, Supportive Housing Network of New York, and LiveOn NY

The Coalition is calling on state leaders to enact the following reforms to New York’s rent laws during the 2019 legislative session:

End High-Rent Vacancy Decontrol
This pathway toward deregulation, which has only been a feature of rent regulation since 1994, has encouraged the use of both lawful and unlawful means to increase rents past the deregulation threshold of $2,733 per month. These means frequently entail harassment and fraud and have resulted in displacement of long-term tenants from their homes. This year, the rent laws must be restored to their original promise by ending deregulation.

Restore Preferential Rent Protection
The State should return the rent laws to their pre-2003 form and no longer permit landlords to revoke a preferential rent upon lease renewal. Tenants with preferential rents must no longer fear the loss of their homes due to rent increases beyond those allowed under Rent Guidelines Board (RGB) rules.

Reform the Vacancy Allowance, Major Capital Improvements (MCI), and Individual Apartment Improvements (IAI)
The State should reform the provisions governing the Vacancy Allowance and Major Capital Improvement and Individual Apartment Improvement increases in a way that reduces excessive rent hikes but ensures that owners can provide safe and decent housing. Taken together, these provisions produce an exponential impact on regulated rents, creating significant financial incentives for tenant turnover, resulting in displacement. 

NYCHA 2017 Physical Needs Assessment

New York City Council
Joint Hearing
Committee on Public Housing and the Subcommittee on Capital Budget
Oversight: NYCHA’s 2017 Physical Needs Assessment
November 15, 2018

LiveOn NY would like to first and foremost thank Chairs Ampry-Samuel and Gibson for holding today’s hearing on NYCHA’s 2017 Physical Needs Assessment.

In New York City, NYCHA and the HUD Section 202 program represent two of the greatest suppliers of affordable housing for low-income seniors. Currently, 38% of NYCHA households are headed by an individual age 62 and over, and an estimated 7,700 units are designated specifically for older adults. Like the rest of the city’s affordable housing options, public housing has seemingly endless demand to fill, with over 200,000 families on waiting lists for a NYCHA apartment. This incredible need for housing, juxtaposed to dwindling supply of available land and a glaring lack of federal resources makes NYCHA one of New York City’s most precious of resources. Unfortunately, however, the current state of NYCHA’s housing is widely known to be dilapidated, unsafe, and lacking the dignity that should be afforded to any New Yorker. Through the physical needs assessment these conditions have been enumerated by the finding of an astounding $32-billion-dollar capital backlog.

Much emphasis has been accurately placed on the need to improve the living conditions in units within NYCHA developments, an emphasis that LiveOn NY wholly supports. In addition to this, it is important to note that the community facilities located within NYCHA have not been immune to the incredible capital backlog that exists. A recent Wall Street Journal article shed light to the fact that an estimated $500 million in capital funding is needed for these community spaces, which include Senior Centers, child care centers, and other critical programs that support the wellbeing of NYCHAs residents and its surrounding community members.

These programs are on the front lines of supporting tenants and should be seen as a resource in relaying critical information around NYCHA repairs, as well as updates related to NYCHA NextGen to communities. Clear and consistent communication from NYCHA to providers is critical to enabling nonprofits to best fulfill this role.

LiveOn NY is here today with our colleagues from the Day Care Council of New York (DCCNY) and United Neighborhood Houses (UNH) to recommend reforms—including re-directing fines, improved inter-agency cooperation and a streamlined process for repair approval— that would provide relief to the community-based organizations operating these centers without adding stress to NYCHA’s financial situation.

Collectively, LiveOn NY, UNH, and DCCNY represent a majority of the nonprofit human service providers operating the NYCHA community spaces requiring vital repairs. LiveOn NY specifically represents more than 90 senior service organizations, many of which run the almost 100 senior centers operating in a NYCHA facility. While located in NYCHA, these programs contract with the City’s human service agencies, including the Department for the Aging (DFTA), the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS), Department of Education (DOE), and Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD). Unfortunately, given the capital backlog, many of these spaces have fallen into disrepair, forcing providers to spend exorbitant energy on finding ways to remain open and safe despite the walls quite literally crumbling around them – this is energy that could otherwise be spent providing life-sustaining services to the community. Adding salt to the wound, the providers are often subject to an onslaught of fines and violations from the City’s well-intentioned regulatory agencies, including the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) and the Fire Department of New York (FDNY).

Given the funding constraints faced by non-profit service providers and their leasing agent, NYCHA, providers are put in an incredibly difficult position as a result of these fines. Beyond these funding concerns, NYCHA’s approval processes leaves providers waiting weeks, months or even years before being able to move forward with critical repairs for which capital funds have been made available – whether through City Council or other sources.

Acknowledging the difficult financial position of NYCHA, we at respectfully submit the following process-oriented recommendations, each having the potential to improve the day-to-day business and viability of providers operating within NYCHA – without adding additional stress to NYCHA’s current financial situation:

• Re-direct Fines – Nonprofit human service providers, who lack site control and rely on NYCHA to make repairs, should not be subject to citations and fines from DOHMH or FDNY due to NYCHA’s failure to make those repairs. When violations are found during inspections, and if these violations have already been reported to NYCHA by the provider, the provider should not be penalized;

• Mandate Inter-Agency Cooperation – NYCHA and the agencies that leverage their space, including ACS, DFTA, DYCD, and DOE, need a clear division of responsibilities for the maintenance and upkeep of NYCHA sites. In order to provide stability to providers, this division of responsibility, once established and agreed upon, should be standardized as appropriate across all agencies that fund providers operating out of NYCHA properties; and

• Design an Approval Process for Repairs – NYCHA must work internally and with providers to accelerate approval for repairs and renovations and must expedite processes with the residential repair division when floods, leaks, or other issues originate in apartments and require a two-pronged repair to fully address.

We appreciate your consideration of the above recommendations.

Finally, LiveOn NY seeks to remain a resource to the city as it works through how best to house, serve, and support its older NYCHA tenants. To this aim, we look forward to continuing to work with City Council and the administration to make New York, and NYCHA, a better place to age.