City Council Candidate Responses
District 33
Candidate: Toba Potosky
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.
First and foremost I spent a good portion of my life being raised by my grandparents, until the time when they reached a certain age and then as life would have it I needed to take care of them (willingly). As Board President of my Mitchell-Lama Co-op for 16 years I was responsible for creating protocols for an aging population. This included NORC certification, providing onsite nursing and social worker services several times a week as well as social activities. Over 60 percent of our co-op has a head of household that is over 65 years old. It has been my goal to assist our neighbors in every aspect of aging in place. This includes annual SCRIE checks for those who may qualify. I was responsible for the planning, funding, and implementation of a 100% accessible plan for our entire apartment complex. In 2015 I founded an organization to honor our remaining Brooklyn WWII and Korean War Veterans. In addition I successfully advocated for $5 million to restore the Brooklyn War Memorial in order to make it 100% accessible for people with disabilities. I was a coordinator for the first Big Apple Honor Flight. An organization that honors our Brooklyn Veterans by flying them to Washington DC to a special ceremony honoring their service. Throughout COVID-19 I worked with city agencies and nonprofits to ensure our seniors received nutritious food. I’ve assisted my State Senator and State Assembly Member with their annual senior conferences providing information to seniors in our district. I have several senior services advisors to my campaign.
2. As we live longer and healthier lives, what are your priorities with respect to promoting equity across all ages in our City?
We need to ensure everyone has access to quality housing, food, transportation options. These are simple quality of life issues that are still not available to everyone throughout the city. We must focus on those that cannot fend of themselves. I promise to fight for our older neighbors and guarantee true representation for all ages.
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, I support increased funding for all of the programs. Programs like home-delivered meals, counseling, and other services that allow our older residents to age at home are essential. As I mentioned, I am the beneficiary of such programs in that I have made sure my co-op receives all of these programs. I personally understand their importance and their need for more funding.
Our seniors also need protection from internet and phone scam artists. This is an area where they are very vulnerable.
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.
Without question, I support an increase to human service workers and full implementation of the ICR. Non-profits, especially those working with the elderly, struggle enough for funding. We need to recognize the role of our human service workers and pay them a competitive salary. Workers' cost of living adjustment is hardly competitive with the rising cost of NYC. 1 percent per year (before taxes) is not enough to combat inflation. We need to ensure workers have peace of mind when they retire, and we continue to adequately give nonprofits a fighting chance.
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?
In my soon to be released Affordable housing plan, seniors will be able to take advantage of a rent subsidy to help bring down the cost of staying in their own homes. New York City needs to give further assistance to obtaining social security benefits. And invest in truly affordable nursing homes and senior housing options.
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?
This issue is not exclusive to our older adults in NYC. We need to do better about getting more people connected to technology, with added education and training to help them to use it effectively. We want to provide more older adults with internet, cell phones, and other resources to stay connected. This is more important now, than ever as we are unable to come together. With technology, those that cannot gather, due to possible infection have the opportunity to do so without fear. This improves mental health and helps ensure the older members of our community are staying safe.
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?
The city lacked leadership when it came to Covid-19 and handling our older citizens in Senior Centers. We need to build an infrastructure to support our elderly population in crises such as these. Whether for food/medication or just a simple sense of security. We cannot continue to leave our older New Yorkers out in the cold. It is vital that the next City Council address failures in our current system.
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.
I see the many challenges our older New Yorkers face every day. One of the largest issues our aging population has to overcome is access to accessible transportation. With the lack of elevators, accessible taxis, and other issues the MTA has not addressed. We also need to make our sidewalks and curbs safer. Including banning electric bikes on our sidewalks. Our seniors need an advocate in their corner, and that is me.
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.
First, we need to close tax loopholes that limit the cities earning potential from developers and other wealthy individuals. We must ensure we don’t cut funding from the most vulnerable in our community. Defunding programs for seniors will lead to insecure living conditions and ultimately can lead to death. These programs are essential and need to be funded as such. I will fight against any cuts to programs like home delivered meals, counseling, at homecare, etc.
10. How should your constituents look to measure your success in achieving your responses outlined above?
I will expect those I represent to hold me accountable by providing a report card of senior services. It’s that important to me. If my actions haven’t been effective or inadequate, I want to hear from my constituents. I will ensure that those who work for me, represent my community and have a voice. I will have a senior services advisor as part of my team, as I do now for my campaign.