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LiveOn NY Hosts Listening Session for Older New Yorkers
While the presidential elections may have ended, New York City is quickly approaching a pivotal 2021 election to fill NYC’s top elected offices. In preparation, senior advocacy organization LiveOn NY hosted two virtual listening sessions for older New Yorkers to hear the most pressing age related issues, incoming elected officials need to address.
Older Adults Voice Their Concerns and Priorities Ahead of Upcoming 2021 NYC Election
LiveOn NY hears from older New Yorkers at a virtual listening session
Press Contact: Katelyn Andrews, Director of Public Policy (kandrews@liveon-ny.org | 212-398-6565 x.244)
For Immediate Release
New York, NY – December 9, 2020 – While the presidential elections may have ended, New York City is quickly approaching a pivotal 2021 election to fill NYC’s top elected offices. In preparation, senior advocacy organization LiveOn NY hosted two virtual listening sessions for older New Yorkers to hear the most pressing age related issues, incoming elected officials need to address. Over 1.8 million older adults live throughout the five boroughs, contributing to our economy, political system and communities, yet older adults are often overlooked in City priorities, as evidenced by the fact that the Department for the Aging budget still comprises less than half of 1% of the overall City budget, despite older adults making up roughly 20% of the City’s population.
More than 80 older adults joined the listening sessions held by LiveOn NY. The following concerns received the greatest attention during the in-event polling, and open dialogue throughout the session, as well as in the pre-event survey question, which was answered by more than 100 individuals:
Housing Stability: Over 44% of participants from an in-event polling noted housing stability as a top priority that elected officials need to address. Access to affordable senior housing with services is a growing need in the aging communities with an estimated 65% of single older New Yorkers spending more than half of their income on rent.
Food Insecurity: Among the millions of New Yorkers who are at risk of food insecurity, older adults are among the most vulnerable populations; one respondent wrote in a direct plea for incoming elected officials to take this issue seriously, stating simply, “continue feeding us please.”
Reopening Senior Centers and Programs: Despite periods of relatively low COVID incidence during the Summer, Senior Centers and programs have remained closed for in-person programming since March. In response, participant M. Rodriguez emphasized the importance of a planful reopening of in-person services, when appropriate, as “for some seniors, the centers are their lifeline.”
Funding Senior Services: Senior centers and programs provide critical services—nutrition, socialization, recreation, and education— yet are underfunded and under-resourced. Older adults clearly articulated the need for change in this respect. With various participants sharing that incoming elected officials must prioritize “funding of senior programs” and “high quality senior centers in all neighborhoods.”
With a majority of the city government seats open including Mayor, 4 Borough Presidencies and City Comptroller, the transition will impact major budget and policy implications for years to come. It is vital candidates hear about the importance of making seniors services a priority and ensuring all older adults have the support they need.
These concerns must further be taken seriously, as 94% of the older adult participants at the listening session shared their commitment to voting in the upcoming election — a meaningful number given the fact that many elections will likely be determined by just a small handful of votes.
Older adults are not a monolith but a diverse community of individuals, who all have unique experiences, needs and insights that hold value for incoming elected officials. In addition to the aforementioned, seniors noted a variety of other issues of interest, including: COVID vaccine distribution, technology access, intergenerational activities, NORC funding, combating ageism, and more.
Older adults are ready to be heard, with one participant noting, “there is just one word: listen. Listen to us. Be attentive to us.” And another stating, “older adults represent a 40+ year span of experience and skills. We have the ability to participate in each and every priority of our city. Treat us as assets, not as needy.”
“With scores of candidates running to fill various city government seats, we have the opportunity to change the way we think about aging in New York,” said Allison Nickerson, Executive Director of LiveOn NY. “Time and time again, older adults aren’t prioritized by the city government from the lack of funding for quality aging services to the rise of social isolation among older adults as senior centers remain closed for in-person programming. It’s time our City makes the aging community a true priority and not only listen to the needs of older adults but also take the necessary action to ensure older New Yorkers can truly thrive in our communities.”
For more information on LiveOn NY, please visit http://www.liveon-ny.org.
About LiveOn NY
LiveOn NY’s members include more than 100 community-based nonprofits that provide core services which allow all New Yorkers to thrive in our communities as we age, including senior centers, home‐delivered meals, affordable senior housing, elder abuse prevention, caregiver supports, NORCs and case management. With our members, we work to make New York a better place to age.
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LiveOn NY Testifies on Indirects, Technology & More
Further, providers are tired of being promised funding, like through the ICR initiative, that never comes to fruition. For aging service providers, this is the third unfulfilled promise from this Administration: Senior Centers were also promised $10 million through the City’s Model Budget process for much needed raises for staff, that was inevitably reneged without a word, and were promised $5 million for Senior Center kitchen staff, that also went unfulfilled.
We’re proud to testify to the New York City Council to ensure that the strengths, as well as the needs, of older adults are consistently heard and prioritized by New York’s elected officials. Below are highlights from three recent hearings that LiveOn NY provided testimony at, as well as testified to virtually.
To learn more about upcoming New York City Council hearings: click here. To register to testify: click here. To watch live and past hearings: view here!
Today, November 25, 2020, LiveOn NY will be testifying to the New York City Council Committee on Contracts on “City's Indirect Cost Rate Funding Initiative During the COVID-19 Pandemic.”
Here’s an excerpt from our testimony:
There’s no other way to put it, than that New York City’s human services providers are tired; tired of operating as a partner in good faith with the City, only to receive funding below what is needed to execute each contract for critical services and that is less than these providers truly deserve.
Further, providers are tired of being promised funding, like through the ICR initiative, that never comes to fruition. For aging service providers, this is the third unfulfilled promise from this Administration: Senior Centers were also promised $10 million through the City’s Model Budget process for much needed raises for staff, that was inevitably reneged without a word, and were promised $5 million for Senior Center kitchen staff, that also went unfulfilled.
These promises, starting with the Indirect Cost Rate initiative, must be redressed in full.
On October 30, 2020, LiveOn NY testified to the New York City Council Committee on Aging on “the future of senior Home-Delivered Meals.”
Here’s an excerpt from our testimony:
Beyond the funding needs for new contracts, it’s important to note the significant uptick in demand for meals that has been experienced during COVID-19. Programs initially reported increases of 20-30% since the start of March for [home-delivered meals] clients, and those numbers continued to grow as more older adults expressed need for food and social support, with some programs experiencing increases of approximately 50%.
On October 13, 2020, LiveOn NY testified to the New York City Council Committee on Technology on “broadband and the digital divide.”
Here’s an excerpt from our testimony:
Today, many seniors can’t afford to purchase technology such as tablets or computers, and even if the devices are given to them, it is difficult or impossible to afford monthly internet access.
LiveOn NY and our members have seen the ways that the digital divide and lack of access to technology limits the ability for older adults to remain engaged and connected in our communities. For example, lack of technology access limits one’s ability to connect to virtual programming and the classes offered by New York’s community-based organizations. Further, inability to afford internet access means missing out on real time information, such as best practices in regards to COVID, how to access food during this time, online job opportunities, and even the ongoing political discourse that now often happens through the web.
It is clear that the COVID-19 pandemic has both exacerbated the digital divide and brought increased awareness to its existence. Moreover, the pandemic has highlighted the disastrous effects of not combatting its prevalence. Therefore, LiveOn NY is proud to offer recommendations on how, whether directly through the City or by advocating on the state and federal levels, we can combat the digital divide.
For questions regarding any of the above testimony, or press inquiries, please contact LiveOn NY’s Director of Public Policy, Katelyn Andrews, at kandrews@liveon-ny.org
$466 Million in Affordable Housing Funding Restored After Advocacy Effort
LiveOn NY was proud to join the New York Housing Conference led advocacy effort calling on the City to restore capital funding for the City’s affordable housing program in the FY21 budget. This #NoCapitalCuts Campaign brought together stakeholders from a broad spectrum of housing providers, including the Supportive Housing Network, NYSAFAH, Enterprise Community Partners, and more. The campaign also included sign ons from a number of LiveOn NY members, including, Ascendant Neighborhood Development Corporation, Elmcor Youth and Adult Activities, RiseBoro Community Partnership Inc., and Selfhelp Realty Group.
On October 23rd Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the city will restore $466 million in fiscal year 2021 capital cuts to continue to advance New York City’s Housing Plan.
LiveOn NY was proud to join the New York Housing Conference led advocacy effort calling on the City to restore capital funding for the City’s affordable housing program in the FY21 budget. This #NoCapitalCuts Campaign brought together stakeholders from a broad spectrum of housing providers, including the Supportive Housing Network of New York, NYSAFAH, Enterprise Community Partners, and more. The campaign also included sign ons from a number of LiveOn NY member organizations, including, Ascendant Neighborhood Development Corporation, Elmcor Youth and Adult Activities, RiseBoro Community Partnership Inc., and Selfhelp Realty Group.
Thank you to City Council for their support of this effort and to our partners in advocacy, particularly the New York Housing Conference, which put together this important policy brief that helped pave the way for this victory for tenants.
LiveOn NY also thanks Mayor Bill de Blasio, Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development Vicki Been, and New York City Housing Preservation and Development Commissioner Louise Carroll for committing to this restoration of funds to ensure that New York’s important affordable housing efforts can continue in earnest.
Coverage of this Affordable Housing Win
Real Estate Weekly: Funding cut reversal just start of what city needs to create affordable homes
CityLimits: City Restores Some Housing Funds From Pandemic Budget Cuts
Crain’s New York Business: Mayor Bill de Blasio Restores $466M of Housing Cuts
Testimony on the Future of Senior Centers
While much of the future appears uncertain, what’s clear is that these core services—nutrition, health, socialization, recreation, and education—will be more important than ever in the lives of a rapidly growing older adult population, particularly as we emerge from a global pandemic. Whether it be next month, next year, or next decade, we must ensure that these services are robustly available in every community throughout the five boroughs.
New York City Council
Committee on Aging, Chair Chin
September 21, 2020
Oversight - The Future of Senior Centers after COVID-19.
Thank you, Chair Chin, for the opportunity to testify on the future of Senior Centers after COVID-19.
LiveOn NY’s members include more than 100 community-based nonprofits that provide core services which allow all New Yorkers to thrive in our communities as we age, including senior centers, home‐delivered meals, affordable senior housing, elder abuse prevention, caregiver supports, NORCs and case management. With our members, we work to make New York a better place to age.
First, we wish to thank and applaud the senior center providers across the City that have stepped up during COVID-19, finding new ways to provide critical services in the face of unprecedented demand and a public health crisis. Their services continue to be more important than ever, as older adults face increased risk of food insecurity and social isolation against the backdrop of a crippling economy and historic job loss. These risks, coupled with the painful loss of family and friends, only magnify the importance of Senior Centers and their core services.
Created through the federal Older Americans Act, Senior Centers’ core services are meant to include the “provision of health (including mental and behavioral health), social, nutritional, and educational services and the provision of facilities for recreational activities for older individuals.” While the physical facilities have been temporarily shuttered as a result of COVID, it is a testament to the strength of these programs and our City that all of these core functions have remained available to older adults throughout the pandemic: mental health supports took the form of hundreds of thousands wellness calls; nutrition was provided in-part through GetFood, which required support from Senior Center staff; socialization, education, and recreation went virtual; and a health focus was paramount through it all.
It is with this in mind that we can look to the “future of senior centers after COVID-19.” While much of the future appears uncertain, what’s clear is that these core services—nutrition, health, socialization, recreation, and education—will be more important than ever in the lives of a rapidly growing older adult population, particularly as we emerge from a global pandemic. Whether it be next month, next year, or next decade, we must ensure that these services are robustly available in every community throughout the five boroughs.
As we move through COVID-19 and find a “new normal,” here are some recommendations on next steps for Senior Centers:
Shift meal provision back to Senior Centers. While GetFood served a laudable purpose during the pandemic to address large-scale hunger across the lifespan, the City must elevate beyond its interim meals system and shift senior meal provision back to Senior Centers, because only the senior service sector can provide a service that is far more cost effective, efficient, and importantly, in the best interest of older New Yorkers.
Senior centers know best how to meet the nutritional needs of their older adult clients—it is core to what they have done for decades as a network. These non-profit providers have a proven track record of providing high-quality meals that are both culturally competent and unfailingly nutritious. Further, these providers have deep relationships with their older community members, which will allow the clients’ needs to be more holistically met.
With safety as our guidepost, to make this meal transition a success, the City will need to:
Commit to reimbursing all associated costs, including startup and ongoing cleaning costs, PPE, and any necessary kitchen ventilation improvements, particularly in Centers located in NYCHA or City-owned property where repairs can be made more expediently.
Include $5 million in funding promised for kitchen staff salaries that were left out of the FY21 budget, and the $10 million in promised funding for Senior Center staff, finally making whole the commitments made by the City during the Model Budget Processes.
Pay providers in full for costs of providing meals, including funding for any increase in meals served beyond the Center’s contracted level due to new demand. This may also mean increased funding for new expenses, such as to-go containers.
Provide clear, succinct guidance regarding best safety practices to help mitigate risk for both Senior Center staff and clients, while supporting flexibility in models to accommodate variance in staffing patterns and center-specific characteristics. For example, some centers might already have capacity to safely distribute grab-and-go meals; while others serving more clients or lacking outdoor space for distribution might prefer a grab-and-go by appointment model; and centers with ample volunteers might prefer distributing the meals on foot to the older adult’s home.
Should the number of meals needing to be served to older adults be greater than the capacity that Senior Centers can provide, the City should look to increase funding and capacity of the home-delivered meals system to meet this excess demand, rather than continuing to rely on new, for-profit partners. Finally, following resumed meal provision by centers, the City’s Aging and Health Departments should work with providers to learn from their experiences and to create guidance on how meal provision can continue to safely evolve.
Invest in technology to promote socialization, recreation, and education. COVID has proven that countless seniors are willing to connect to technology and participate in the virtual programming offered by their Senior Center. However, while technology utilization continues to rapidly increase, research has found that less than a third of those over the age of 80 had Internet access at home. To engage older adults, both in the short and long term, the City must invest in the technology infrastructure for providers and older adults. The City’s investment in 10,000 tablets for NYCHA residents is a great start towards this goal, and should be expanded to reach more DFTA participants and Senior Center staff.
Given that we are discussing the future of Senior Centers, LiveOn NY would also like to acknowledge that there is a currently open “Older Adult Center” Concept Paper in preparation for the upcoming RFP.
While recognizing the Concept Paper’s aim to push the senior service system forward, LiveOn NY underscores the need for more specific details that are not currently addressed in the Concept Paper but should be explicitly articulated prior to the upcoming RFP to offer providers the opportunity to fully and collaboratively engage with the City. We are hopeful that, if articulated in advance of the RFP, the City will outline a fiscally responsible path forward that will allow providers to implement some of the new ideas proposed, while continuing to serve New York’s communities responsibly and compassionately. Clarity and details within the Concept Paper are paramount, particularly given the historic uncertainty that providers and New Yorkers continue to grapple with amidst a global pandemic. Ten such examples of outstanding questions requiring clarity in advance of the RFP are below, and a more extensive list of considerations and concerns will be provided in LiveOn NY’s formal Concept Paper response submission.
Conceptually, what is the Department for the Aging’s current plan for:
How many contracts will be awarded under the new procurement?
What method, if any, will be utilized in determining geographic distribution of new contracts?
What are the expectations and details regarding meal provision under future contracts?
How does the Department for the Aging anticipate supporting a smooth transition for clients, particularly during COVID, if any contracts were to change?
What are allowable or expected staffing requirements (including staffing patterns by center model or size, position types that will be funded, minimum staff salary requirements, etc.)?
Will the contracts include a commitment to funding the provider's full Indirect Cost Rate (ICR) and cost escalators?
What is a sample budget that the contract will provide for?
Will capital funding be available?
What funding will be available to support providers in purchasing technology for virtual programming?
How will the Department ensure providers have real time access to their data as it is entered into STARS, particularly given the Concept Paper’s emphasis on data collection?
In responding to these questions, and further elaborating on items that lack clarity within the Concept Paper, the City and the Department for the Aging can work collaboratively with providers and the public at-large to mutually create a more solid foundation for the future of Senior Centers.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify.