LiveOn NY Testifies at NYC Council Community Care Plan Hearing

New York City Council

Committee on Aging

Chair Hudson

September 19th 2024

Oversight Community Care Plan

My name is Kevin Kiprovski and I am the Director of Public Policy at LiveOn NY. Thank you for the opportunity to testify.

LiveOn NY’s members include more than 110 community-based nonprofits that provide core services under the NYCAging portfolio and many other home and community based services in our city. 

Background

The Community Care Plan rightfully recognized that the demographics of NYC were changing and that bold new investments would be needed to increase capacity of the OAC network, bolster case management, serve more food, and build a system that would meet the needs of our population as we age. The reality of investments from the administration have not met the needs outlined in the document, or the greater needs that exist in our city today. We need bold new investment NOW to ensure that we can meet the needs of both the existing population of older New Yorkers and to keep up with the growth in our aging population in the coming decade. If we do not make those investments, especially in light of documents like the Community Care Plan that clearly outline the unmet needs of our communities, we are deciding that it is okay to exclude New Yorkers from our communities as we age. We cannot allow ageism to justify the current plan to divest from aging services and ignore the needs that have already been acknowledged by our city’s leadership. 

Recommendations

• Don’t cut the already low budgets for any service program.  Many programs are already on their last strings, further cuts jeopardize the fiscal solvency of the service network and undermine the goals of the contracts that the city already pays for. 

• Create a dedicated city pot of capital funds to keep centers in good repair. Most centers don’t have the resources to launch campaigns to get local elected capital money and the city has refused to consider their needs in the budget for over a decade. 

• Reform capital funding rules to match the reality of the spaces that services are being provided in. Many can’t access funds due to a lack of “site control” which leaves them without any resources from the city. Other arcane requirements can leave centers with no real options to repair necessary infrastructure and they are left to crumble. 

• Study the real needs of case management clients. Case managers in the field are seeing a stark increase in need among their clients and higher levels of physical and mental illness and the most recent RFP cut resources from programs. Caseloads must be reduced overall from 1:72 or more and a new program should be developed to deal with the highest need clients that allows for lower caseloads closer to 1:20. Funding must also be restored for administrative support positions to allow case managers to focus on their work. 

• Reform nutritional programs to match the reality of those using them.  Homebound New Yorkers only get 5 meals a week from city funds and often are unable to get additional nutrition. Many centers also see that there is a need for more than just one meal a day in their congregate meals programs. 

• Work with HPD to understand the housing crisis among older New Yorkers. Older adult homelessness is at an all time high and growing at a rate three times faster than younger demographics. Any community care plan must recognize this reality and explore further investment and new housing programs to meet this moment. 

 Thank you for the opportunity to testify.

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For questions, please email Kevin Kiprovski, Director of Public Policy at LiveOn NY, kkiprovski@liveon-ny.org

LiveOn NY’s members provide the core, community-based services that allow older adults to thrive in their communities. With a base of more than 100 community-based organizations serving at least 300,000 older New Yorkers annually. Our members provide services ranging from senior centers, congregate and home-delivered meals, affordable senior housing with services, elder abuse prevention services, caregiver supports, case management, transportation, and NORCs. LiveOn NY advocates for increased funding for these vital services to improve both the solvency of the system and the overall capacity of community-based service providers.

LiveOn NY also administers a citywide outreach program and staffs a hotline that educates, screens and helps with benefit enrollment including SNAP, SCRIE and others, and also administers the Rights and Information for Senior Empowerment (RISE) program to bring critical information directly to seniors on important topics to help them age well in their communities.

LiveOn NY Releases Statement in Response to Final NYC Budget

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DATE: Monday, July 1

CONTACT: emma@newdealstrategies.com

LIVEON NY RELEASES STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO FINAL NYC BUDGET

NEW YORK, NY — In response to the finalized NYC budget, Allison Nickerson, Executive Director of LiveOn NY released the following statement:  

“This budget season, we faced extreme cuts and underinvestment to older adult services, which would have inevitably led to long waitlists for services, crumbling infrastructure and less access to critical social support for older adults. Within the City’s $112.4B enacted budget, the Mayor still has contributed zero dollars to resolve these severe gaps in funding. 

“With the leadership of Speaker Adrienne Adams and Aging Chair Councilmember Crystal Hudson, we were able to save $16.95 million in previously cut funding, including $4.75 million to increase funding by $1 dollar for each home delivered meal served. The Council also secured billions of dollars for affordable housing development to meet the dire needs outlined in our new report. 

“That being said, the work is not done. The City must add $100M into NYC Aging’s budget this coming fall to simply keep pace with current services. Without that funding, upwards of 50-60 older adults centers will close — meaning thousands of older New Yorkers throughout the five boroughs will go without a daily meal, health/wellness services and social services support. We must continue to push the Mayor to take our needs seriously as we age and truly invest in our system. This budget did not meet all the needs of our sector but we will continue to work alongside the City Council in this fight against ageism and for an age-equitable budget.” 

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LiveOn NY Releases Report on Crisis of Older Adult Homelessness & Waitlist for Affordable Senior Housing

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DATE: Friday, June 28th

CONTACT: emma@newdealstrategies.com

NEW: LIVEON NY RELEASES REPORT ON CRISIS OF OLDER ADULT HOMELESSNESS & WAITLIST FOR AFFORDABLE SENIOR HOUSING

NEW YORK, NY — Today, LiveOn NY released a groundbreaking report, featured today in The New York Times detailing the severity of the older adult homelessness and affordable senior housing crisis in New York City. The report shows that states of homelessness amongst older New Yorkers have never been higher, the applications for affordable senior housing units are over 520,000 and growing daily, and that older adults in need of affordable housing have lower incomes, higher levels of disability, and belong to smaller households. 

LiveOn NY is working with partner organizations and elected officials to call for real investment and solutions. This crisis can only be solved by renewed investment in the development of more affordable housing units for older people and the preservation of existing affordable housing. If the city does not act we will see a historic and tragic ballooning of the population of homeless older New Yorkers.

“This research affirms what many of our providers have already been hearing on the ground. Older New Yorkers are not receiving the critical support they need to continue to call New York City home. We can’t afford to ignore this any longer. Older adults need affordable places to live. We must restore the funding stripped from older adult services in the city budget, invest in and preserve more affordable housing units for older adults,” said Allison Nickerson, Executive Director of LiveOn NY. 

“Older adults are the jewels of our communities, and they deserve to age with stability and dignity in their communities,” said Speaker Adrienne Adams. “As our city confronts record-high homelessness and rising evictions, we must deliver on investments in affordable housing production and preservation that New Yorkers are relying on. LiveOn NY’s new report underscores the urgent need to act and address the growing homelessness crisis among older adults. We owe it to our elders to get this right and ensure they have access to safe and stable homes.”

“LiveOn’s research makes clear that the issue of older adult homelessness is already a major crisis in our city––one that requires us to revamp and rethink the programs and services currently in place to address the unique housing needs of older adults,” said Council Member Crystal Hudson, Chair of the Council’s Committee on Aging. “At the same time that older adult homelessness is on the rise, so too is the demand for affordable housing specifically for older New Yorkers, and we’re not coming close to meeting this demand. The solutions we put forth now must be comprehensive and coordinated, spanning all levels of government, and enacted immediately. For example, at the municipal level, the City Council has passed the first iteration of the Age In Place NYC legislative package which includes, among other legislative victories, strengthened legal protections for older adults facing eviction and greater accessibility requirements for new buildings. Simultaneously, we must invest more deeply in the development of truly affordable housing units for older people with fixed incomes and work to preserve the existing affordable housing stock. There are steps we can take to curb this crisis, and it starts with restoring budget cuts so that our older neighbors can receive the vital services they require, from financial wellness to food security and housing.”

“The New York Community Trust is proud to be a long-term supporter of LiveOn NY’s comprehensive and crucial work to make New York a better place to age. This research highlights the urgency of the housing crisis facing older adults, who have given so much to our region and—like all New Yorkers—deserve safe, affordable housing,” said Rachel Pardoe, Senior Program Officer, Older Adults, The New York Community Trust.

“LiveOn NY’s new report underscores a critical issue that has been steadily escalating: the severe lack of affordable housing for older adults in New York City. Many older New Yorkers live on fixed incomes and struggle to pay rent. As the City’s population continues to age, these concerns will only grow. We must invest in developing new housing units for older adults and preserve existing ones. Older adults built this great city, and they deserve to age in their communities in a safe, comfortable home,” said AARP New York State Director Beth Finkel.

"The demand for affordable senior housing in our city has never been more urgent," said Monsignor Alfred P. LoPinto, President and Chief Executive Officer of Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens and Affiliated Agencies. "The Catholic Charities Bishop Rene A. Valero Senior Residence in Astoria received an overwhelming 25,000 applications for 102 apartments. This remarkable response underscores the immediate need for affordable housing options for our older adults population. We are unable to construct housing quickly enough and we appeal to our city, state, and federal partners to expand affordable housing initiatives and prevent our older residents from facing homelessness."

“Project FIND operates showers, psychiatric services, housing assistance, mail services and proudly opens its Older Adult Centers (OACs) to unhoused seniors,” said Mark Jennings, Executive Director of Project FIND. “We primarily pay for these services out of our own coffers because we know, as this report vividly reminds, there is an urgent need to provide barrier-free services to help undomiciled older adults gain the title of being formerly homeless."

"LiveOn's report helps highlight the severity of New York City's senior affordable housing crisis, which we know will only escalate as the city's older adult population continues to grow in the coming years," said Kathryn Haslanger, CEO of JASA. "To age with dignity, New York's older adults need units and communities designed with their physical, social, and mental health needs in mind. Our city must quickly come together to preserve and create the tens of thousands of units we need to address this crisis."

"I urge immediate investment in affordable senior housing. Every day we see older adults struggling to afford to stay in their longtime homes across the City. For older adults, the stress of unstable housing worsens existing mental and physical conditions and can lead to homelessness. We need to preserve existing affordable housing and commit to building new affordable housing. Our older neighbors deserve to live with dignity in their own homes.” said Stuart C. Kaplan, CEO, Selfhelp Community Services. 

“We’re proud to work alongside LiveOn NY to tackle the intertwined crises that older adults are facing here in New York City. The housing crisis is a major concern. As rents continue to rise, older adults with fixed incomes are not able to keep up. The real solution is to invest in and maintain affordable housing with social services for our older adults. We can’t settle for anything less,” said Paul Freitag, Executive Director, West Side Federation for Senior and Supportive Housing (WSFSSH).

“Older adults deserve to age with dignity and respect in the communities they helped build. It is imperative that swift action be taken to enact reforms that reduce red tape for developers and accelerate the time it takes to go from predevelopment to construction on affordable housing projects. Older adults should be treated as a priority, from developing new housing to restoring funding for supportive services for this vulnerable community,” said Stacy Bliagos, Executive Director of HANAC, Inc.

"For 50 years, RiseBoro has served seniors in North Brooklyn which is why it pains me to see that this critical population is not getting the support they deserve," said Kieran Harrington, CEO of RiseBoro Community Partnership. "We join our friends at LiveOn NY in calling for immediate investment in affordable and permanent housing for older adults."

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LiveOn NY Testifies at New York City Council Executive Aging Budget Hearing

New York City Council

Committee on Aging

Chair Hudson

Committee on Finance

Chair Brannan

May 17th, 2024

Executive Aging Budget FY25

My name is Kevin Kiprovski and I am the Director of Public Policy at LiveOn NY. Thank you for the opportunity to testify.

LiveOn NY’s members include more than 110 community-based nonprofits that provide core services under the NYCAging portfolio and many other home and community based services in our city. 

Background

Over 200 older adults have submitted testimony today in strong opposition to the Mayor’s budget and shared their stories about how these services keep them connected to their communities and their lives. 

Ageism is pervasive in this year’s executive budget, with a built in hole of about $80 million dollars that threatens to disconnect older New Yorkers from the services and the support they need to stay involved in their communities. We testified earlier this year that older adult centers are in dire need of $82 million dollars to shore up the existing system, and in response we see a budget that will cut an additional $100 million and close older adult centers and reduce services across the city. 

We are an aging city, and we must invest in that reality. The current paltry aging budget, less than a half of a percent of the budget, is not an adequate investment in our future. 

Recommendations

• Maintain the existing council discretionary funding to keep our system whole. 

• $50 Million to create a capital funding pot to get centers and resources in a state of good repair. There must be a baselined funding stream that keeps the physical spaces and resources of our system in good repair. Organizations cannot contract with the city on these services if the city cannot commit to paying for the resources needed to do this work.  

•  $20 million to expand social work support across the network  to allow for more service to New Yorkers. Organizations on average need 2 more case managers and 1 intake staff to create a program that can keep talent and serve the community well. This will allow higher needs cases to be handled effectively and keep the focus on service instead of admin work.  

• $12 million to increase the per meal rate for HDM programs to $15.31 per meal. HDM providers report an average deficit of $2.53 dollars per meal served, the contract with the city should at least pay for the services that they require. 

• Rethink our aging system and fully fund the true needs of aging services in New York. The proportion of the budget spent on aging must be drastically increased and we must understand that every dollar invested improves quality of life for so many in our city and saves money in the long run. 

• Reverse ALL cuts to the aging system. A fiscal cliff and unreversed PEGs will leave our already underfunded system on the verge of collapse. We must reimagine how we fund aging services across our city. We have a system that can create a just city and a place where we can all age 

 Thank you for the opportunity to testify.

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For questions, please email Kevin Kiprovski, Director of Public Policy at LiveOn NY, kkiprovski@liveon-ny.org.

LiveOn NY’s members provide the core, community-based services that allow older adults to thrive in their communities. With a base of more than 100 community-based organizations serving at least 300,000 older New Yorkers annually. Our members provide services ranging from senior centers, congregate and home-delivered meals, affordable senior housing with services, elder abuse prevention services, caregiver supports, case management, transportation, and NORCs. LiveOn NY advocates for increased funding for these vital services to improve both the solvency of the system and the overall capacity of community-based service providers.

LiveOn NY also administers a citywide outreach program and staffs a hotline that educates, screens and helps with benefit enrollment including SNAP, SCRIE and others, and also administers the Rights and Information for Senior Empowerment (RISE) program to bring critical information directly to seniors on important topics to help them age well in their communities.

LiveOn NY Holds 29th Annual Aging Advocacy Day

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DATE: Wednesday, May 16th, 2024

CONTACT: emma@newdealstrategies.com

LIVEON NY JOINED NYC COUNCIL SPEAKER ADRIENNE ADAMS, NYC COUNCILMEMBERS AND OLDER NEW YORKERS TO DEMAND FUNDING FOR AGING SERVICES AND STOP OLDER ADULT CENTER CLOSURES

NEW YORK, NY — Today, LiveOn members, hundreds of older New Yorkers and advocates gathered outside NYC City Hall to demand that the city fund critical resources for aging populations, including essential maintenance of older adult centers, fully funded home delivered meals programs and improved case management services. These cuts unjustly target Older New Yorkers and will cut people off from resources from food to community engagement, in short it’s an ageist attack on our aging population. The aging services network has $82 million in existing needs to repair crumbling centers, fund meals-on-wheels, and end the social services wait list. 

With his recent city budget proposal, Mayor Eric Adams has cut $20 million from NYC aging, which has already faced divestment and is set to cut an additional $80 million. This will close as many as 60 centers as early as January 2025. The program’s lack of funding has created a deep social service need, crumbling infrastructure and burnt out staff. The immediate critical need for our system was estimated at $82 million dollars to keep older adult centers open, homebound older adults fed and critical service support available. 

See photo and video from the event here.

“Mayor Eric Adams’ deeply unpopular, austerity budget has cut essential services from nearly every community. Our city’s aging population is no exception. Programs that older adults rely on to live healthy and fulfilling lives will be cut, including meals-on-wheels programs, transportation and case management services. In addition to that, we’re looking at the closure of 30-60 older adult centers across our city. We have to do better,” said Allison Nickerson, Executive Director of LiveOn NY.   

“Every ounce of progress we enjoy today was earned because of older New Yorkers. You are the jewels of our communities. You ushered us into a brand new era of equity and justice and for that we owe you a debt of gratitude. We can start by securing a budget that invests in the health and wellbeing of older New Yorkers. That’s why we’re gathered here today. To ensure that you get what you rightfully deserve. That’s why we’re calling on the administration to increase funding to cover the cost of older adult meals, older adults case management and homecare services and older adult centers. ” said NYC Council Speaker Adrienne Adams. 

“We cannot accept indiscriminate budget cuts to the programs that keep our communities afloat; and this is certainly the case for NYC Aging,” said Council Member Crystal Hudson, Chair of the Council’s Committee on Aging.  “It would be irresponsible to underestimate the effects these cuts will have on our already-strained resources and cash-strapped service providers. Yet, this administration seems unconcerned that poverty and food insecurity are becoming more and more commonplace among older New Yorkers; that our older adult population has increased by more than 30% in the last decade and is expected to balloon 40% by 2040. This should be a moment of investment. We should be bolstering and expanding the resources NYC Aging and their contracted providers offer to millions of our neighbors today so that we may guarantee dignified aging for all New Yorkers tomorrow. I look forward to working with Speaker Adams to ensure we deliver the care our older neighbors deserve.”

"All older adults should be alarmed by the Mayor’s proposed cuts to aging services. NYC Aging receives less than 1 percent of the city budget, despite 20 percent of residents being 65 or older. Next year, NYC Aging’s budget will be $73 million less than in fiscal year 2025, even though the city’s Independent Budget Office projects an extra $2.2 billion in available funds. These cuts could close up to 60 older adult centers—vital community hubs providing essential services, like meals, for our rapidly aging population. New Yorkers 50-plus helped build our city but have been ignored for too long. We were proud to stand with LiveOn NY and hundreds of advocates at City Hall to oppose these ageist cuts to critical aging services,” said Beth Finkel, State Director of AARP New York.

“It is asinine that this administration would think to make cuts to our seniors and the services that are provided for you all. We will fight through and through for this budget to make sure that these cuts do not come into fruition because we know that you are the legacy and each and every one of our communities,” said NYC Councilmember Chi Osse. 

“Representation is important. We have to make sure that we vote for the people that support us. A report that came out yesterday from the Independent Budget Office that says the city has taken in more than 2 billion dollars in additional tax revenue, we need to make sure that we spend that on our seniors,” said NYC Councilmember Lynn Schulman. 

“I really want to express my support for all of you, for the work you do. It is unbelievable to think that so many people who did their time, who built our communities up, who raised children — children who weren’t their children, all the kids on the block — are not able to find a place that they can live in that's safe and dignified and healthy. I think that it is a shame that this is even on the chopping block. It shouldn’t even be a discussion point. We have to take care of the people who built this city and took care of us.” said NYC Councilmember Sandy Nurse.

“Let me say this to our older adults: We are obligated to fight and protect you. Thank you to our speaker, Adrienne Adams who's been leading the fight, CM Hudson, and all the electeds who have been making sure we protect our seniors. You paved the way for us, you made it possible. We are going to fight for you, day in and day out. We are not going to give up.” said NYC Councilmember Chris Banks. 

“We refuse these cuts. They are cruel, counterproductive and absolutely egregious. What the Mayor is signaling is that he does not care about you. We demand dignity, we demand justice and we demand a city that says that our older adult communities deserve joy and compassion,” said NYC Councilmember Shahana Hanif. 

“You have made our neighborhoods great. You have made our communities strong. We need to invest in each and every one of you. We’re never going to let this Mayor take funding away from our senior centers or let him cut funds for the home meals that we deliver to our seniors. He’s already cut library services down to 6 days a week. He wants to reduce it further. Our seniors depend on our libraries. The mayor has cut affordable housing in the budget this year. Our seniors need affordable senior housing. We’re going to invest in each and every one of you,” said NYC Councilmember Lincoln Restler. 

“You have all worked for decades and decades. You invested your time, your energy and your soul to make your family and for our city. It’s because of all of you and your investments that we are where we are today. So we’re asking the city budget to take care of you who have built this city. Senior centers support your mental health, they are your support system. During COVID, who was it that took care of our seniors? It was our senior centers, it was groups like LiveOn NY,” said NYC Councilmember Eric Dinowitz.

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