AGE STRONG NYC & NYS
All New Yorkers Deserve to Thrive as They Age
New York’s older adult population continues to grow, but our systems and policies have not kept pace with the needs for affordable housing, consistent food and nutrition, and community infrastructure. Older adults remain vital contributors to our communities through volunteerism, caregiving, and civic participation—we need to invest, not divest, from services for our aging populations. LiveOn NY - together with advocacy parters, service providers, older New Yorkers and caregivers - is launching the Age Strong NYS and Age Strong NYC campaigns to demand bold investments.
Leading a Unified Vision for State & City Budgets
At both the New York state and the New York City levels, hundreds of thousands of older New Yorkers face financial insecurity, social isolation, and poor health outcomes. New York’s older adults face long waitlists, crumbling infrastructure, and understaffed and under-resourced senior centers. Both the Age Strong NYS and Age Strong NYC campaigns call for:
Significant Funding: Invest in affordable housing, consistent food and nutrition, and community infrastructure.
An All-Government Approach: Establish a coordinated response across agencies to streamline services and improve accountability.
Public Transparency: Implement clear metrics to evaluate success and ensure real progress for older adults.
Community Investments: Support older adult centers, caregiving programs, and accessible services that allow older adults to age in their communities.
Why the State?
Underfunded Services: The State Office for the Aging receives less than 0.08% of the State budget, leaving critical aging services with insufficient resources. The State must immediately allocate $80M to fix aging services and include aging as a core pillar in the Governor’s State of the State and executive budget.
Inefficient Systems: The State continues to prioritize costly institutional care over community-based solutions, wasting taxpayer dollars and failing older adults. The State must redirect resources to community-based care, saving costs and improving outcomes.
Growing Demand: Service providers are stretched thin as the over-65 population grows by 25% by 2040. The State must build capacity to meet current and future demand with trained providers and simplified service access.
Why the City?
Insufficient Budget Allocation: NYC Aging receives only 0.5% of the city’s budget to support 1.4 million older adults. We are calling on the City to invest in affordable housing, daily meal programs, and community-based support to meet basic needs.
Housing Crisis: Over 500,000 older adults are on waiting lists for affordable housing while homelessness among seniors rises. The City must expand affordable housing and rental support for older adults.
Food Insecurity: Nearly 50-60% of older New Yorkers face food insecurity, with current programs failing to provide adequate daily meals. The City must provide three daily meals for food-insecure, homebound seniors.
Failing Infrastructure: Older adult centers are facing crumbling infrastructure. The city must commit to repairing and upgrading older adult centers to create safe, accessible spaces.
Why Now?
New York is approaching a tipping point: If we fail to act, the strain on families, caregivers, and communities will push older adults out of their communities and even their homes. Conversely, investing in older New Yorkers now will:
Save Taxpayer Dollars: Reducing reliance on costly institutional care saves millions in Medicaid costs.
Strengthen Communities: Older adults contribute economically and socially, enriching the fabric of our neighborhoods.
Enhance Equity: Ensure that all New Yorkers, regardless of income, can age with dignity and independence.
Join Us
The Age Strong Campaign unites State and City efforts to transform how New York supports its older population. By aligning resources, policies, and advocacy, we can ensure that all older New Yorkers meet their basic needs and thrive in the communities they helped build.
