City Council Candidate Responses
District 14
Candidate: Fernando Aquino
1. Please briefly share your background and note any experiences you may have in engaging older adults, whether professionally or personally, and in connecting with the non-profit sector.
My work in the Attorney General office includes working in several initiatives to protect senior citizens, including consumer protection programs such as Smart Seniors. I was also a spokes person for the prosecution of many cases of misconduct affecting clients of senior centers and nursing homes. I am committed to fight to protect senior citizens and create programs to support their well being.
2. As we live longer and healthier lives, what are your priorities with respect to promoting equity across all ages in our City?
Aside from taking every necessary measure to protect seniors from COVID-19 and getting them the necessary resources to alleviate the impact of the Pandemic, the city must do more to help seniors stay and live well, from improving access to pubic transportation to expanding nutrition and entertainment programs to fighting fraud, including predatory lending and property theft. We must also protect our aging population from age discrimination in the job market. We must also increase outreach and assistance in navigating the application process for programs like Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP) and Expanded In-home Services for the Elderly (EISEP) to allow family members to be paid caretakers of seniors
3. Do you support increasing the budget for the Department for the Aging (DFTA), which funds programs such as Senior Centers, NORCs, home-delivered meals, and more? Please give rationale for your response and specify any specific funding changes you are most committed to achieving.
Yes.
4. Do you support implementing a Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) increase for city-contracted human service workers and the full implementation of the Indirect Cost Rate (ICR) initiative for non-profits? Please explain your response.
Yes. Even before the pandemic, non-profit organizations providing essential services were struggling with their finances. These organization provide an essential service to the well being of all the residents of the city, particularly the most vulnerable constituents who rely on them. As a councilmen I will do everything in my power so that every penny this essential organization spend is accounted for in the city budget and that they get everything they need to do their work.
5. Given that many older New Yorkers rely on limited fixed incomes and would prefer to age in community, rather than entering costly nursing homes, how will you address the need for affordable senior housing with services for a growing older population? How will you evaluate/respond to affordable senior housing proposals during ULURP?
At any ULURP opportunity, seniors must be a central part in the discussion. I have always believe that our seniors are an essential part on the sustainability of the city and that the government has a responsibility to help them enjoy the city they built. Any formula for new affordable housing must include seniors as a special category and they must get a proper percentage of every new project.
6. While many older adults wish to be connected, many lack the financial resources or training necessary to fully access technology, exacerbating the digital divide. How would you encourage the City to address this?
NYC must continue its efforts to mitigate the Digital Divide that impacts our low income communities the hardest. The $157 million allocated to the program to expand affordable internet access to help students must be accelerated, as well as allocating money to ensure every NYC senior citizen has internet access.
7. During COVID-19, Senior Centers continued to work remotely, offering services in new ways to ensure their clients’ needs were met. To date, providers have not been authorized to operate in-person, despite restaurants, movies, and other entities, which older adults could also attend, being open. Further, community-based organizations, in many cases, have not been leveraged in the new meal delivery system. What are ways that you feel the City should work with nonprofits and engage older adults in the event of a future emergency?
Nonprofits are the eyes and ears of the city government when it comes to vulnerable communities such our senior citizens and any decision must rely heavily on the assessments of these organizations. The city must designate nonprofit organization as emergency responders and must create and rely on a protocols that can benefit from their expertise to deliver the services that the senior citizens need.
8. With 1 in 5 New Yorkers over the age of 60, what are the changes you would seek to make to create a more age-friendly district? Please consider addressing the physical infrastructure of your district (walkability, accessibility, etc.), health care access, safety net resources, and other district specific items of note.
Mobility is one of bigger obstacles for senior citizens in the city. We must facilitate access to public transportation to our senior citizens. More bus stops shelters, to protect seniors from the rain, cold and sun, with proper sitting. We also need to work with the state and the MTA to build elevators or escalators in every train station. in our district, we have many stairs that are impossible for senior citizens to walk up and down. We must consider building escalators on these stairs.
9. In the event of a budget shortfall, how would you push for the City to close the gap? Are there agencies or programs you feel should or should not absorb cuts? Please be specific.
On any budget cuts, we must may sure that funds for seniors citizens, after school and child care programs are not affected. On the contrary, we must increase funding these programs. The city has a large budget with a significant potential for waste, but the waste will not be found on services to vulnerable communities.
10. How should your constituents look to measure your success in achieving your responses outlined above?
I plan to work closely with the organizations that provide services to senior citizens and they have a responsibility to the community they serve to hold elected officials accountable. I believe that working together we can get results and check on each other.