LiveOn NY, Queens Borough President, & Advocacy Groups Call for Bold Investments in NYC's Older Adults

NEW YORK, NY — On Wednesday March 19th, LiveOn NY, an advocacy organization for New York’s 4 million older adults, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr., hosted a “Queens Advocacy Day” press conference calling for investment into resources and infrastructure for older adults. The press conference is part of the Age Strong NYC campaign urging Mayor Adams to invest $2.3 billion in nutrition, housing, and community services to support older New Yorkers.

LiveOn NY and the Queens Borough President were joined by 18+ older adult centers and over 150 older adults themselves.

The Age Strong NYC campaign, led by LiveOn NY, includes 60+ community and advocacy organizations and comes on the heels of NYCAging facing a 102 million dollar budget cut that threatens to close up to 90 older adult centers throughout the city. These failures have catastrophic consequences for the 1 in 5 people in New York who are over the age of 65 and their families.  

SEE ALL PHOTO AND VIDEO HERE

“We are here calling for a New York where we can all age in our homes and be part of the communities that we helped to build. As it stands, aging services only get half a percent of the City’s budget for 20% of the population — this cannot stand. We are asking for 2.3 billion dollars to build more affordable housing, to keep people in their homes, to ensure people have the food they need to live without going hungry, and for essential community services like older adult centers,” said Kevin Kiprovski, Director of Public Policy for LiveOn NY.

“We are going to fight every step of the way for you for this budget…This funding helps our seniors continue to live in dignity in the neighborhoods where they’ve long known. We have no intention of resting on our laurels when it comes to supporting each and every one of you — and neither does LiveOn NY. You all deserve to reap everything you’ve sewn in this borough,” said Donovan Richards Jr, Queens Borough President.

“I am from Sunnyside Services, and I am also a senior. I have a vested interest in making sure that we all get the money that we need and deserve. This is not a handout. This is money that should go to all of our programs, said Elizabeth Daniele, Sunnyside Community Services.

“The first thing Kew Gardens did was help me with a situation with my disability—I would not have made it through without the center. We have to make sure that our Council Members and elected officials get fresh hands in the community…we need this money. This is our taxpayer money,” said Jean Silva, Kew Gardens Older Adult Center, Queens Community House.

LiveOn NY releases statement on federal budget

Statement on the Federal “Skinny Budget”: A Blueprint for Abandoning Older Americans 

Last week, the federal administration released its “skinny budget”—a plan that slashes non-defense discretionary spending by 23% and guts the very programs that older New Yorkers rely on to age safely and with dignity.

This comes on top of leaked documents revealing plans to eliminate Falls Prevention, Adult Protective Services, Health Promotion, Elder Abuse Support, and Respite for Caregivers - critical lifelines for individuals and families nationwide. These programs don’t just save lives,  they save money by reducing hospitalizations, homelessness, and long-term care costs.

This is happening at a time when aging in the United States and New York, in particular, has never been more unaffordable. From skyrocketing housing costs and out-of-pocket healthcare expenses to long-term care gaps and inadequate food assistance, older New Yorkers are already stretched to the breaking point. And without federal partnership, the state and local governments will be left scrambling to patch massive holes in our aging infrastructure.

If enacted, this budget would:

• Cut Seniors’ Health Care Through Medicaid, through deep cuts to home and community based care.

• Cut Food Assistance Through SNAP, relied upon by thousands of older New Yorkers to make ends meet and afford food.

• Reduce Access to Their Social Security Benefits through deep cuts in staffing, leaving older New Yorkers to wait for hours on call lines just to be disconnected.

• Slashing the HUD budget and dismantling Section 202 affordable housing for seniors, handing it to state block grants with no guarantees or accountability. 

• Eliminate LIHEAP, leaving thousands of older New Yorkers without heating and cooling assistance during extreme weather.

• Zero out the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, cutting off critical support for senior centers, NORCs, and housing.

• Eliminate Title V Senior Employment, cutting off a vital re-entry path to the workforce for low-income older New Yorkers.

• Abolish AmeriCorps Seniors, ending programs that reduce isolation and support community engagement.

• Jeopardize Alzheimer’s Research, which will have unprecedented consequences for the millions of families who face and will face this devastating disease.

This isn’t just bad policy—it’s un-American. We are witnessing the dismantling of the very systems that working New Yorkers have paid into and relied on for decades. Older adults across New York State deserve more than abandonment. They deserve respect, investment, and bold leadership that honors their lives—not a budget balanced on their backs.

New York City and State as well as our Congressional representatives must make clear how they will fight back—how they will protect the programs older New Yorkers depend on and stand up to these dangerous federal cuts. Silence is not an option when lives, livelihoods, and dignity are on the line.

We will not stand down. We will speak out, organize, and fight for every older adult and caregiver in this state who is being left behind by this reckless vision for our country’s future.

LiveOn NY, Bronx Borough President, and Advocacy Groups Hold Bronx Advocacy Day

NEW YORK, NY — Today, LiveOn NY joined Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson to host a “Bronx Advocacy Day” press conference and rally calling for urgent investments for older adults. With the recent plan to defund and dissolve the Administration for Community Living the Presidential administration has put senior centers, Meals on Wheels, and other pivotal programs on the chopping block. At the advocacy day, dozens of local stakeholders, from community groups to service centers, the event was a resounding success, amplifying the call of The Age Strong NYC campaign urging Mayor Adams to invest $2.3 billion in nutrition, housing, and community services to support older New Yorkers.

[PHOTO AND VIDEO]

The Age Strong NYC Campaign, led by LiveOn NY, includes 60+ community and advocacy organizations and comes on the heels of NYCAging facing a $102 million dollar budget cut and the City's failures to meet the needs of its aging population. These failures have catastrophic consequences for the 1 in 5 people in New York who are over the age of 65 and their families. 

Organizations in attendance included SAGE, RSS, PSS, Neighborhood SHOPP, NY Connects Manhattan, The Hebrew Home for the Aged at Riverdale, Riverdale YM & YWHA, MMCC, JASA, Emerald Isle Immigration Center, James Monroe OAS, CenterLight Healthcare, and WSFSSH.

“I want my parents, my grandparents, my children, my friends, and for you all, everyone who lives in the Bronx, in New York State, to live their best selves as they age. We all deserve that,” said Allison Nickerson, executive director of LiveOn, “And I want to say a few things about the current environment we are in. What is happening 5 hours south of us is not America — people deserve not to drive five hours to the Social Security office, people deserve not to stand in line for hours. We have been paying into these systems, and we need access to Social Security. This is not a political issue, this is a human issue.” 

“It is an honor to stand with our community today at LiveOn NY’s Third Annual Bronx Aging Advocacy Day at Borough Hall—a powerful reminder that our older adults are the heart of our communities. They deserve nothing less than our full commitment, respect, and support,” said Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson. “Here in The Bronx, we understand that aging is not a crisis—it’s a journey of wisdom, strength, and legacy. But we also recognize the challenges our seniors face, from affordable housing to healthcare access. That’s why I am calling for increased investment in senior services in the City budget, and why I’m proud to have funded LiveOn NY as they continue their critical advocacy and support work. Together, we will continue to fight for a Bronx where aging is embraced, supported, and celebrated.”

“All of us, we worked hard in this city for many years. I worked for forty years in education in the South Bronx, and now we need people to help us. We are political, we are intelligent, we volunteer, and we vote,” said Robert Ackerson, with RSS and Riverdale Y. “And let me tell you, we are one million voters in this city, and we vote in big numbers.”

“These services are vital, and keep our elders stably housed in their community,” said Eustacia Smith from WSFSSH. “We know that without these supports, our folks too often lose access to services and benefits, and can too easily lose access to food, housing, and can easily be displaced. We know the services we provide are essential, and we cannot let this funding be eroded.” 

“I’m speaking out here today against the devastating budget cuts that not only threaten the lives of seniors in our communities, but seniors across this city,” said Eldra Drew of NSHOPP. “ We have long benefitted from the opportunities that senior programming offers, it’s here where we have been introduced to new ideas, perspectives, and experiences, and have learned life skills. These activities are not just ways to pass the time, but it helps us keep our mind sharp, stay engaged, and stay independent. (...) The impact is profound. As our community grows, we need more funding, recognition, and support from the city.” 

“Our mission at RAIN is to always provide, since the day we have been established. We want to enhance the quality of life for all New Yorkers, and meet the needs of people of all ages. A senior center is your home away from home,” said Sophia Reid, director of RAIN. We need to fund older adult centers to provide these services. Like our other speakers have reminded us, older adults are the largest population of voters in this city — we need you to stand up for the constituents who voted for you.” 

LiveOn NY and Leading Elected Leaders on Aging in NY Raise Alarm on Takedown of US Administration for Community Living

Move by Federal Administration effectively eliminates the only federal agency solely dedicated to supporting older adults and people with disabilities.

In a stunning and deeply alarming move, the federal administration has dissolved the U.S. Administration for Community Living (ACL)—the only federal agency solely dedicated to supporting older adults and people with disabilities. The ACL oversees critical programs like Meals on Wheels, caregiver support, senior centers, elder abuse prevention, and other lifelines that millions rely on every day.

Now, the Department of Health and Human Services is carving up these programs behind closed doors, offering little transparency and even fewer answers. This is not just bureaucratic reshuffling—it’s a direct attack on the safety and dignity of Americans as we age.

These moves are part of a continued assault on the 4.8 million older adults and 4.1 family caregivers in New York State — new red tape strangling Social Security, threats to emergency food assistance, ongoing efforts to undermine Medicaid, and, now, the dismantling of our nation’s aging support infrastructure altogether.

This isn’t policy. It’s abandonment. And hardworking New Yorkers and Americans who have paid into these systems for decades deserve far better than this.

“Eliminating the Administration for Community Living is not just reckless—it’s un-American. Gutting programs like Meals on Wheels and caregiver support abandons the very people who built this country and paid into these systems their entire lives. This isn’t just a policy shift; it’s a moral failure and blatantly un-American.”— Allison Nickerson, Executive Director, LiveOn NY

"Seniors are the fastest growing population in New York and in many parts of our country. The federal government should be doing one thing only—modernizing and expanding funding and programs under the Older Americans Act and the Administration for Community Living. A DOGE-style approach to our older Americans is not only unwise, irrational, and impractical, but an absolute insult to those who have long paid their dues to this nation. I suggest this plan be recalled like the 5.1 million Teslas recalled in 2024," said State Senator Cordell Cleare, Chair of the Aging Committee

State Assembly Member Rebecca A. Seawright, Chair of the Aging Committee said, “Older adults already face housing, food and healthcare insecurity. It is unconscionable that the Trump administration would move to dissolve the US Administration for Community Living (ACL). This is a desertion of 4.6 million New Yorkers and their access to vital services that keep them safe and aging with dignity. I will continue to marshal every resource to protect aging New Yorkers and the quality of life that they have earned.”

“Our nation’s older adult population is growing rapidly, but government at all levels has failed to plan for an aging population,” said New York City Council Member Crystal Hudson, Chair of the Aging Committee. “According to ACL, the number of older Americans has jumped 34 percent over the past decade compared to a 2 percent jump for those under 65. Despite this, the Trump administration is eliminating the only agency focused on supporting our nation’s nearly 58 million older adults. It’s clear this administration is focused on eliminating programs that support marginalized communities, and taking away benefits from those who have contributed so much to our country over their entire life. I will continue to stand with my colleagues in Albany and our nonprofit partners to fight any attempt to erode older adult services and collaborate to ensure every single older adult can age in place with dignity.”

One-House Budget Proposals

Dear LiveOn NY members, advocates & partners:

Thank you for your incredible advocacy during our pilot year for the Age Strong NY campaign! We held and participated in several events in Albany and the city, we had over 100 meetings with state legislators in Albany to advance our agenda, and countless informal interactions to ensure our priorities couldn’t be ignored. All of this would not be possible without your efforts and support. 

The Senate and Assembly have released their one-house budget proposals, outlining their priorities as they enter negotiations with the Governor. While we are pleased to see several important investments, there are still areas where we need to push for stronger commitments in the final budget. It's the final week to push! Calls to action are in italic below.

Key Investments in the One-House Budgets:

• $10 million increase for Unmet Need Services (wait list), bringing the proposal from the governor’s proposed 53m to $63 million (Senate)

• $8.8 million increase for the Long Term Care Ombudsman Program (LTCOP), bringing total funding to $15 million (Senate)

• $5 million for legislative grants (Senate)

• $5 million for Project Guardianship Hotline program, including a $1 million restoration (Senate)

• We are glad for the $5 million but the real need- and ask- is for $15m. And there is nothing in the assembly budget. Please call your elected officials!

• 7.8% COLA increase for human service workers (in Senate and Assembly, Assembly detail below)

• $2 million increase for NORCs, for a total of $10.1 million (Senate)

• Historically COLAs have not included N/NORCs and other programs. This year with the 7.8% COLA increase, the Senate addressed this, but the Assembly did not. Call your assemblymember and ask them to ensure all state-contracted human service workers are included! 

• $1 million for MCCAP, helping more individuals enroll in Medicare (Senate)

• $6.4 million to restore various legislative adds (Assembly)

Housing Investments in the Senate Proposal

As part of the Senate’s “City of Yes” framework, which supports increasing affordable housing, they have proposed:

• $30 million for a new Statewide Senior Housing Program to develop senior housing outside New York City

• $2.6 million increase for the RESTORE program, which funds home repairs for a total of $4 million

• $4 million for a new Safer Homes for Seniors Program, supporting household repairs for low- and moderate-income seniors

Next Steps & Ongoing Advocacy

These proposals are a strong foundation, but they are not final. The Governor, Senate, and Assembly will now negotiate the final budget, and we must continue to advocate for sustained and increased investment in critical aging services. While the Senate’s proposal includes some significant increases, we need to ensure the Assembly also prioritizes these issues and that the final budget reflects the needs of older adults across the state.

We’ll keep you updated on next steps and opportunities for action. Thank you for your continued advocacy on behalf of older New Yorkers. 

With much appreciation,

Dora & the LiveOn team