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LiveOn NY Testifies at NYS Assembly Expanded In-Home Services for the Elderly Program Hearing
New York State Assembly
Assembly Standing Committee on Aging
October 17, 2024
Expanded In-Home Services for the Elderly Program
LiveOn NY thanks Assembly Member Ron Kim, Chair of the Assembly Standing Committee on Aging, for his leadership, and the full Committee for holding this hearing. My name is Kevin Kiprovski and I am the public policy director for LiveOn NY.
LiveOn NY’s members include more than 100 community-based organizations that provide more than 1,000 programs serving over 300,000 older New Yorkers annually. These core services allow older adults to thrive in their communities and include senior centers, home‐delivered meals, affordable senior housing with services, elder abuse prevention services, caregiver supports, transportation, NORCs, case management and homecare. Through policy efforts, LiveOn NY advocates to increase funding and capacity for our members to meet the needs of older adults in their communities.
At LiveOn NY, we believe aging creates momentum. Older New Yorkers all across the state use their momentum to power up the economy, the political system, and their communities. They are the anchors of their neighborhoods and provide invaluable volunteerism, caregiving, and economic input to their communities.
Aging also creates challenges. A lack of investment in New York’s State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA) services puts the entire system and the 1.6 million older New Yorkers at risk. Seniors fall through the cracks as local aging services struggle to meet demand due to inadequate funding, difficulty retaining quality staff, and outdated capital.
The good news is, our state has an amazing tool to fight these challenges. The Expanded In-home Services for the Elderly Program (EISEP) is a New York State program that helps older adults stay in their homes by providing non-medical services and support without requiring that they impoverish themselves by spending down their assets to get Medicaid long-term care. This program helps older people maintain independence, prevents nursing home placement, and supports informal caregivers. EISEP offers case management, has a consumer-directed option, and provides a wide range of services including estimates and planning for home modifications. It is inexpensive compared to institutional care, and, most importantly, people love it.
We also know that EISEP saves the state money. The typical Area Agency on Aging client across the state is a person who qualifies for nursing home placement which costs about $100,000/year, but the AAA is able to serve their needs through EISEP costing less than $10,000/year.
We must also think more broadly about homecare than just EISEP. The state and municipalities provide funding for programs that can meet the needs of older New Yorkers in community settings or through investments in family caregiving through programs like CDPAP. There is also opportunity in pilot programs run by our members, such as Selfhelp’s SHSAM housing with services program and India Home’s Co-living program that can provide lower touch services that divert people from needing more intensive home care. Alternative MLTC programs like PACE also help alleviate these burdens through comprehensive care models that both simplify the medical delivery and adhering to care plans with a congregate social model.
Given what we know about EISEP- a decrease in institutionalization, and a direct causal relationship to reduced Medicaid costs- continuing to defund or ignore this program only hurts our state. It hurts our budget, our people, and our future.
Today, LiveOn recommends significant investments in the EISEP program by way of the Unmet Need Fund and Community Services for the Elderly. To ensure older New Yorkers can receive adequate home care and can age in place with dignity, the state must:
Expand the number of service hours available to individuals, addressing current artificial limits imposed by counties due to financial constraints.
Eliminate waiting lists and improve services for those currently underserved, with an estimated cost of $40 million.
Increase worker compensation, enabling Area Agencies on Aging to continue recruiting and retaining home care workers, especially after the recent rise in minimum wage.
Support counties in adopting innovative models for administering home care, such as consumer-directed programs and direct hiring approaches.
comprehensive care models that both simplify the medical delivery and adhering to care plans with a congregate social model.
Given what we know about EISEP- a decrease in institutionalization, and a direct causal relationship to reduced Medicaid costs- continuing to defund or ignore this program only hurts our state. It hurts our budget, our people, and our future.
Today, LiveOn recommends significant investments in the EISEP program by way of the Unmet Need Fund and Community Services for the Elderly. To ensure older New Yorkers can receive adequate home care and can age in place with dignity, the state must:
Expand the number of service hours available to individuals, addressing current artificial limits imposed by counties due to financial constraints.
Eliminate waiting lists and improve services for those currently underserved, with an estimated cost of $40 million.
Increase worker compensation, enabling Area Agencies on Aging to continue recruiting and retaining home care workers, especially after the recent rise in minimum wage.
Support counties in adopting innovative models for administering home care, such as consumer-directed programs and direct hiring approaches.
Waiting lists for NYSOFA services remain a chronic issue as New York’s counties and non-profit providers continue to experience waiting lists for services due to insufficient funding to meet the demand. Given the exorbitant strain the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic placed on older adults, adding further stress for older New Yorkers by forcing them to wait for critical services is unacceptable and must be addressed through significant and immediate investments. In addition, increased investments in addressing the waiting list for NYSOFA services will inevitably help balance the State’s budget by reducing Medicaid expenditures.
While we strongly support increased funding to eliminate home care waiting lists, as they represent an immediate critical need, we caution that these lists don't fully capture the scope of the problem. In some cases, political reasons may lead to inaccurate data collection, and agencies may stop tracking once the lists grow too long. Additionally, many older adults and families, discouraged by long waits or limited resources, either give up or never apply in the first place. We believe addressing the waiting lists is essential, and we also believe a broader investment in community-based services is needed to meet the full growing demand.
NYSOFA’s overall budget continues to lag behind what the system truly needs. Today, the state spends less than one tenth of one percent of general funds on the programs offered through the State Office for the Aging, limiting capacity to serve a population of older adults that will soon outnumber school aged children. The impact of this represents not only an injustice to the needs of older New Yorkers, but a missed opportunity to improve the health and wellness of older adults through low-cost interventions.
LiveOn NY thanks the committee for the opportunity to testify today and make clear the urgency of the need to fund EISEP. We are available for questions and further discussion via our State Policy Director, Dora Fisher, who can be reached at dfisher@liveon-ny.org.
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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.
October 2024 Updates on Benefits Programs for Clients
Updates to SNAP guidelines
Beginning October 1, more people will be eligible for SNAP. Below are the monthly income and resource guidelines for households with one member who is 60+ or disabled, as well as the amount of the increased SNAP allotment:
October 2024 Updates on Benefits Programs for Clients
Updates to SNAP guidelines
Beginning October 1, more people will be eligible for SNAP. Below are the monthly income and resource guidelines for households with one member who is 60+ or disabled, as well as the amount of the increased SNAP allotment:
Household Size Maximum Monthly Gross Income
1 person $2,510
2 people $3,407
3 people $4,303
The maximum resource level for applicants who are 60+ or disabled and over the maximum monthly gross income is now $4,500.
The maximum SNAP allotment per household:
Household Size Maximum Amount of SNAP
1 person $292
2 people $536
3 people $768
Deadline for EBT Benefit Skimming Replacement is extended
Congress has extended SNAP replacement benefits through December 20, 2024, as part of federal stopgap legislation. Go here to learn more about filing for SNAP replacement.
SNAP Restaurant Meal Program expands!
The Restaurant Meal Program (RMP) enables eligible SNAP recipients to use their benefits to purchase meals at participating restaurants. NY State's OTDA has gradually expanded this program on a limited basis in Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens. Go here for more information and a list of participating restaurants.
New NYCHA rental assistance programs announced
NYCHA will launch two new programs later this month to provide up to $185 million in rental assistance to eligible residents with arrears. These one-time programs are intended to further help residents recover from the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic so that they can better meet their obligations to pay rent and ensure housing stability. NYCHA will be holding an informational webinar on these programs on October 17 at 12:00pm. Register for NYCHA's webinar here.
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
“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.”
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
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.
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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