LiveOn NY Speaks at Age Discrimination Rally and Public Hearing

On October 8th, LiveOn NY joined Council Member Chin and other aging advocates for a rally and public hearing on age discrimination in the workforce. LiveOn NY’s Director of Public Policy, Katelyn Andrews, spoke at the rally (pictured left) on the steps of City Hall. Jenna Gladfelter, Public Policy Associate, testified at the joint hearing held by City Council’s Committee on Aging and Committee on Civil and Human Rights.

Watch the hearing here, and listen to the timely testimony of the reporters of NY1 who launched an age- and gender-discrimination lawsuit against their employer, as well as the inspired testimony of fellow aging advocates. LiveOn NY testifies at the 2:29:10 minute mark in this nearly 3 hour hearing. Read our full, written testimony, below:

---

New York City Council
Joint Hearing
Committee on Aging, Chair, Council Member Margaret Chin
Committee on Civil and Human Rights, Chair, Council Member Eugene
October 8th, 2019
Oversight – Age Discrimination in the Workforce

Thank you, Chairs Chin and Eugene, and the Committees, for the opportunity to testify on age discrimination in the workplace. LiveOn NY would also like to thank Council Member Chin and Council Member Ayala for shining a light on this issue that affects so many, and if left unaddressed, will undoubtedly affect many more.

It is critical that we view aging as the normative life process that it is. In other words: we are all aging. We find ourselves in an exciting time in which the future of aging itself is dynamic and evolving. Perhaps like never before, there is no “one size fits all” for the aging process. While previous generations may have lived by a more consistent set of milestones, today we all experience life and aging differently, and therefore deserve the opportunity to thrive in accordance with our own drive, desires, limitations, and values, regardless of age. For some, this may mean an early and long-awaited retirement; for others, a second act in an unexplored career path; for most, however, it means the continued economic pressures of an often unequal society.

This economic reality means that many older adults simply cannot afford the fiscal implications of a frequently age-biased, and at times, discriminatory society and workplace. Even beyond economic pressures, older adults should not be shunted the opportunity to fulfill the innate desire to have utility, be productive, and contribute. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, by the year 2024, workers 55 or older will represent 25% of the workforce. By contrast, in 1994, those 55 and older represented just 11%. And yet, while today many people are working longer, age discrimination – particularly in the workforce – is still very real. It is ingrained in stereotypes of how older adults live, behave, and work, which can have a seriously damaging effect on their job opportunities and overall well-being.

“Many older adults simply cannot afford the fiscal implications of a frequently age-biased, and at times, discriminatory society and workplace.”

While age discrimination is highly unreported, the most common cases that are filed involve an individual not being hired due to age, followed closely by being passed over for promotions. These occurrences have a clear fiscal impact on the individual, and may be more common than has been enumerated given the aforementioned lack of reporting. In fact, in a 2017 study by AARP, more than 6 in 10 workers age 45 and older say they have seen or experienced age discrimination in the workplace. Of those, 91% say that it is a common occurrence.

For already marginalized populations, such as women, immigrants, or minority communities, these age-related injustices only serve to exacerbate existing inequities. Inequities such as lost wages due to caregiving, persistent wage gap within communities of color, and lack of pension options for a multitude of workers, means that the financial margins that are so slim that the effects of age discrimination can be devastating.

It is in light of these injustices that LiveOn NY would like to express our strong support for all of the bills being discussed at today’s hearing. We applaud Council Members Chin and Ayala for introducing a legislative package aiming to change the narrative around the value of older adults and older workers.

We would also like to respectfully submit several recommendations in an effort to see this legislative package as strong as it can be:

First, as proposed in Intro 1694, we support Council Member Chin’s efforts for the City to have a team working to ensure that equity in employment opportunities exists for older New Yorkers. LiveOn would like to submit for consideration that this team be housed within the Office of Workforce Development as a Center for Older Workers, enabling employees to capitalize on existing resources.

Secondly, LiveOn NY looks forward to supporting the work of the task force proposed in Intro 1693, and we applaud Council Member Chin’s efforts to create such a body to convene on this key issue. LiveOn on encourages the Task Force to include a representative with legal expertise on age discrimination. We believe that having a legal expert who understands the ins and outs of this issue is integral given the status of age as a protected class according to the federal government. LiveOn NY looks forward to learning the findings of the task force, and believes its report could act as a blueprint to inform and embolden the team created through Intro 1694. We believe that, in concert, both bills have a significant opportunity to positively impact the lives of older New Yorkers.

To close, LiveOn NY would like to stress the importance of recognizing the value and contributions of older adults in all aspects of the public and private spheres, and to reframe the way we as a society view and treat the oldest among us. Even beyond the workplace, it is imperative that we recognize the value of older adults in society at large, as demonstrated through countless hours of volunteerism, local economic impact, caregiving responsibility, civic and community engagement, and more. In short: it is time that older adults are recognized for their strengths. LiveOn NY looks forward to continued conversations on how to make New York a better place to work and age. Thank you again for the opportunity to testify.

LiveOn NY Public Comment Opposing Proposal to Eliminate SNAP Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility

The following comments were submitted to The Food and Nutrition Service. The FNS is housed within the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and is the federal agency responsible for administering the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

---

LiveOn NY would like to respectfully express our strong opposition to the proposed rule to eliminate the broad-based categorical eligibility (BBCE) provision in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). LiveOn NY is a nonprofit membership organization representing 100 community-based organizations serving older adults in New York City. We also provide direct assistance to older New Yorkers through our Benefits Outreach Program, in which our team screens individuals for eligibility and assists through the entirety of the application process.

Currently, SNAP is one of our nation’s most effective anti-poverty programs, helping more than 38 million people in the United States meet their basic nutritional needs every month. This dangerous proposal would cause immediate harm, taking food assistance away from 3 million people nationwide — nearly 660,000 of whom are seniors 60 years and older. By revoking a state’s right to ensure their SNAP program caters to its local communities, this proposed rule would also negatively impact those who were able to retain their SNAP benefits past the initial purge of benefits. Through the freedom to customize eligibility guidelines, a state is able to ease rules that would punish older adults for their modest savings, as well as increment the otherwise looming benefit cliff that affects Social Security recipients when receiving a Cost of Living Adjustment.

Through LiveOn NY’s benefits outreach work, we see the impact nutrition assistance programs have in the lives of older New Yorkers every day — many of whom are forced to choose between food, rent, and medication. In just one example of a typical case for our team, we met Ms. K, a 75 year-old widow, after losing her husband of over 40 years. She received approximately $2,100/month in Social Security benefits and from a small pension, and had modest savings of only $2,000. Ms. K owned her home in Queens where she and her husband brought up their children. Although her mortgage was paid off, she still had considerable housing-related expenses such as water, heat, and electricity. She also had property taxes and homeowners insurance to pay. Because of these expenses, coupled with her limited income, Ms. K found it extremely difficult to afford healthy food, and reported that there were times when she could only afford to eat two small meals a day.

LiveOn NY’s staff met Ms. K at the senior center she attends two to three times a week and talked to her about applying for SNAP. Initially, Ms. K was skeptical, believing she may be ineligible. However, because New York State employs Broad Based Categorical Eligibility, the guidelines allow adults over 60 years old or those who are disabled to have a higher income and a modest savings, improving Ms. K’s chances of eligibility. After walking Ms. K through the application process, she was approved for SNAP; and today, she is able to afford much-needed fresh fruits and vegetables as a result of this critical program.

“If this proposed change to BBCE were actualized, it would undercut the ability of seniors — namely low-income seniors, immigrants, and communities of color — to afford food.”

Ms. K’s situation is not unique; our team assists older New Yorkers like her every day. If this proposed change to BBCE were actualized, it would undercut the ability of seniors — namely low-income seniors, immigrants, and communities of color — to afford food. Consequently, many individuals like Ms. K would find themselves at a greater risk of hunger, inevitably posing a threat to their health and housing stability. Additionally, instead of fostering overall wellbeing, removing the BBCE system actively discourages low-income individuals from taking a job with better pay and accumulating savings for emergency expenses. 

At LiveOn NY, we uphold that we all have the ability to continue to thrive, contribute, and find meaning in our later years, especially when afforded the basic tools necessary to do so. For many older adults, the SNAP program is one of these tools — a tool that we encourage the Federal government to continue to support.

As a result of our forty years of experience working with older New Yorkers, we believe that this proposal is the antithesis of what is needed to ensure that the United States is a great place to age, and we encourage the Federal government to withdraw this proposal in its entirety. It is critical that each state retains the right to determine eligibility guidelines for this program as it has such a profound impact on our local communities, including the economic viability of the very shops that accept SNAP. Finally, we remain resolved in our continued efforts to advocate for policies that will safeguard against hunger, ensure housing, promote health and address economic inequality; and we are hopeful that a similar resolve will compel the Federal government to conclude that this proposal is not worth further pursuing.

---

LiveOn NY Strongly Opposes Federal Government Attacks on Older Adults in Need of Assistance

Date: August 19, 2019
Press Contacts: Allison Nickerson, Executive Director (anickerson@liveon-ny.org | 212-398-6565 x. 224) or Katelyn Andrews, Director of Public Policy (kandrews@liveon-ny.org  | 212-398-6565 x.244)

New York, NY – LiveOn NY unequivocally opposes the continued, systemic attacks on older adults in need of assistance, namely low-income seniors, immigrants, communities of color and other marginalized populations. 

We remain resolved in our continued efforts to advocate for policies that will safeguard against hunger, ensure housing, promote health and address economic inequality. 

LiveOn NY will in no way be deterred by the Federal government’s most recent attacks, specifically the institution of the Public Charge rule, which threatens older immigrants’ ability to receive assistance in the face of hunger and housing instability; and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) proposal, which, if actualized, would undercut the ability for seniors with limited income to afford food.

LiveOn NY also looks forward to continuing to work with our locally elected officials to curb the effects of these policies and we thank all who stand as allies to our communities during this time.

In the face of these attacks, we must continue to strengthen our support for the human services organizations working to serve the very populations these proposals seek to harm – from senior centers to home-delivered meals providers we know that these community-based services are lifelines to so many older adults.

At LiveOn NY, we uphold that we all have the ability to continue to thrive, contribute, and find meaning in our later years, especially when afforded the basic tools necessary to do so. We are dismayed and disturbed to see the Federal government’s continued efforts to take these same tools away.

Neither the institution of the Public Charge rule nor the proposal to take SNAP away from more than 3 million Americans will break our resolve to making New York a better place to age and we encourage you to join us in doing so.

About LiveOn NY

At LiveOn NY, we believe that all people have a future. Our work is centered on making sure that New York is a great place to age. We do this through targeted advocacy, data-driven policy, direct assistance & innovative programs. As a membership organization, we represent 100 agencies from small, single-site centers to large multi-service organizations. Through our work and membership, we represent the 3.2 million older New Yorkers and their caregivers.

LiveOn NY In the News

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 related to our work: 

June 20, 2019 “NYC’s Seniors Get Solid Wins in City’s Budget” article by Roshan Abraham in City Limits

June 12, 2019 “Finding Affordable Housing In NYC Is Hard, It’s Almost Impossible If You’re A Senior” article and video segments in CBS New York

“You shouldn’t ever have to choose between your job and caring for your loved ones”

— Andrea Cianfrani, Associate Executive Director

June 6, 2019 "New Yorkers Are Living Longer Than Ever" article by Melanie Grayce West in the Wall Street Journal

May 9, 2019 “Seniors Rally at City Hall” article and video coverage by Jarrett Murphy in City Limits

April 24, 2019 “The Distressing Math of NYC’s Future Senior-Housing Need” article by Toni Kamins in City Limits

March 26, 2019 “Opinion: It’s Time to Make NY a #FairCity4AllAges” Op-Ed by Katelyn Andrews, Director of Public Policy at LiveOn NY, and Council Member Margaret Chin, Chair of the New York City Council Committee on Aging, in City Limits

February 13, 2019 “NY Program is Uneven in Supporting Those Caring for Aging Parents” article by Roshan Abraham in City Limits

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

LiveOn NY Testifies at Final Public Hearing on FY20 City Budget!

On May 23rd, Director of Public Policy, Katelyn Andrews testified to the City Council Committee on Finance and Subcomittee on Capital on the need for additional senior service funding in the FY20 City Budget.

Watch the hearing here and listen to the inspired testimony of dozens of fellow New Yorkers
LiveOn NY testifies at the 4:22:00 minute mark in this 7+ hour hearing

Read our full, written testimony, below:

New York City Council
Committee on Finance, Chair, Council Member Dromm
Subcommittee on Capital, Chair, Council Member Gibson
May 23, 2019
Executive Budget Hearing

Thank you Chair Dromm, Subcommittee Chair Gibson, and the full committees for the opportunity to testify on how we can work together to make New York a fair city for all ages.

On behalf of LiveOn NY, at this pivotal time in our city’s budget negotiations, I would like to clearly articulate the urgent and significant need for increased funding that exists for New York’s senior service providers. I also would like to fully appreciate and thank the Council for your steadfast support of senior programs, and particularly for your inclusion of the necessary increase to meals funding in your preliminary budget response. LiveOn NY is hopeful that this recommendation will rightly make its way into the final budget.

Just this afternoon, lunch was served at senior centers in communities across the five boroughs, thousands of meals were served to seniors, the majority of whom report that this singular meal makes for more than half of their daily intake of food. However, in spite of the clear value of these meals, they have for years been funded far below their worth, with the last across-the-board increase to providers being a mere 25 cents in 2014. Today, providers of both home-delivered and congregate meals in our high-cost city are funded at a rate that is 20% lower than the national average.

The effect? Mission-driven, community-based providers are losing money on every meal they serve or, to put it another way, they are supplementing the City for its true cost of doing business. This is unsustainable and unfair. It’s time to become a fair city for all ages by investing $20 million in DFTA’s congregate meal program and $15 million in home-delivered meals, for a total new investment of $35 million in meals for seniors.

The picture I just painted of the historic and chronic underfunding of meals for seniors is not an anomaly. Across the human services sector, contracts are funded at a rate far below the cost of service provision. In many cases, the culprits behind this pervasive underfunding are inadequate indirect rates and contract reimbursement rates. For this reason, LiveOn NY, is proud to stand alongside the Human Service Council, and providers serving New Yorkers across the lifespan, to call on the city to provide $106 million in funding to begin to rectify this wrong. We are again appreciative of Council’s inclusion of this item in your budget response and are resolute in our efforts to ensure this funding is included in the final budget.

Given that the Department for the Aging (DFTA) budget remains less than ½ of 1% of the overall budget, LiveOn NY remains cognizant of the fact that there are many programs in need of funding increases, including:

• 1.3 million in new funding for NORCs;

• $5 million for services in senior housing; and

• $10 million for improved infrastructure across senior centers, an ask that we are appreciative that the Mayor took steps to fulfill in the Executive Budget, earmarking $6 million in new funds for infrastructure expenses, such as air conditioners in senior centers.

A more comprehensive listing of needs is attached to this testimony for your consideration.

As we all grow old, and as the population of older New Yorkers rapidly increases, LiveOn NY remains committed to working with our city partners to make New York a better place to age. We hope that the FY20 budget marks a firm step towards this goal.

Thank you for the opportunity to testify.