City Council Candidate Responses
District 5
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.
Rebecca Lamorte
In my community I've worked with local senior centers and churches to support older adults in my the community. This includes but isn't limited to volunteering at the Isaacs Center for wellness calls, food deliveries, and PPE deliveries during COVID-19. I've also worked on my local community board to increase accessibility in the community and aid older and disabled New Yorkers in more easily moving about our community and the public transit system.
Chris Sosa
Serving seniors has been part of my life for as long as I can remember and continues to be. Some of my earliest memories include singing to seniors in my small hometown nursing home as a child and participating in the physical care of my cognitively and physically disabled grandfather as I became older. I’ve accompanied seniors to doctor’s appointments, volunteered for quality-of-life services, spent countless hours as an advocate for senior family members in hospitals and assisted with live-in care. I’ve taken multiple positions in the nonprofit sector, most recently serving in the education sector with an organization that provides tuition-free, nationally-accredited degrees to refugees, immigrants and people in conflict zones.
Tricia Shimamura
I’m a social worker, the First Vice Chair of Manhattan Community Board 8, and a longtime parks, housing, seniors, and small business advocate. As Deputy Chief of Staff to Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, I provided constituent services for seniors on issues of housing and healthcare, supported our small businesses as we completed Phase 1 of the Second Avenue Subway, coordinated funding and repairs for the East River Esplanade, and helped deliver health services to 9/11 first responders. I have served on my local Community Board for nearly 6 years where I regularly work alongside many senior neighbors in our community. I was a longtime volunteer with the Jewish Association for Serving the Aging pets program, and throughout the pandemic, I have continued to volunteer weekly at a food pantry on Roosevelt Island that focuses on delivering food services to seniors. During the summer of 2020, I organized a forum to discuss the distinct needs of older adults during the pandemic, and I have used my campaign to help provide food, social community, and other support services to seniors in my district. I have continued to fight for a more just, resilient, affordable, and accessible city for all New Yorkers, and firmly believe that I have the experience to get to work on day one and create the change needed to bring real benefits to my district.
Billy Freeland
I am a community leader, activist, and attorney, and have called New York City home for my entire adult life. As an officer and leader on Community Board 8, I have advocated for open space, pedestrianized streets, public transit, buses, and bike lanes. I am most proud of the work I have done with the Stanley Isaacs Neighborhood Center, where I serve on the Junior Board. I have helped to organize and plan events, and I have volunteered to deliver meals to homebound seniors and to help them navigate the vaccination process. I have also supported organizations like Lenox Hill Neighborhood House. I have also delivered meals and PPE throughout District 5 and at NYCHA complexes -- at Holmes and Isaacs, which are NORCs, and Robbins Plaza, dedicated to senior housing. I am a vocal advocate for public transit, open space, and equity across our city, and improving accessibility, especially for older adults, is a focal point of my leadership. As a lawyer, I have litigated LGBTQ rights and voting rights cases, I have won more than 40 needed repairs for a NYCHA tenant, I have represented asylum-seekers and the incarcerated and people unfairly prosecuted under the racist Walking While Trans law. I’ve seen how discriminatory laws, racist policies, and government failures perpetuate injustice. I am also a congregant at Central Synagogue, and have gotten to know our community, which includes many older adults. I’m running for City Council in District 5 because there’s an opportunity for a new Council member to center the needs of all constituents — not just those who typically participate in politics — while also pushing for transformational change that will help disadvantaged New Yorkers, including older adults, in District 5 and throughout the City. My campaign for City Council is inspired and informed by my work with marginalized communities and progressive organizations that have been at the forefront of challenging the vast inequities and shortcomings of our political and economic system. I appreciate the need to work collaboratively with those who are forgotten, left behind, or harmed by unjust policies, and to engage with grassroots groups and advocacy organizations.
Kim Moscaritolo
I've been a journalist for 20 years, an activist and community advocate for over a decade, and Democratic District Leader since 2015. I’ve spent my career speaking truth to power, and standing up to powerful interests — covering stories from the September 11th attacks to Superstorm Sandy; and speaking out against the gun lobby and paid lobbyists in our county party. I’ve worked hard to volunteer in my community: I’m a regular volunteer at the 82 Street Green Market and Meals on Wheels, and I founded Yorkville Buy Local to promote and protect our local small businesses. I’m running for City Council because we’ve seen what happens when powerful interests and city leaders are not held accountable. To ensure an equitable and just recovery from this pandemic and subsequent economic fallout, we need independent leaders who will stand up to powerful interests and fight for all New Yorkers. I've learned from my years as a District Leader and activist that power is never given up easily, but by building strong coalitions, and organizing communities, we can make real change. I’ll bring passion, leadership, and focus on oversight and transparency to City Council, fighting for tenants, for seniors, for our essential workers, for immigrants, and for marginalized communities. I’m working towards a more equitable and just city, with real investments in our public good — public schools, transportation, housing, healthcare, and climate resiliency — for all New Yorkers. As a journalist and activist, I’m the best person to take on this fight.
Julie Menin
As an attorney and civic leader with over two decades of experience in the public and private sectors, I served residents of New York City most recently as the City's Census Director. Previously, I served as Commissioner beginning in the Bloomberg Administration and served as Commissioner of the Department of Consumer Affairs and Commissioner of Media and Entertainment. I am also a Columbia University adjunct professor and a proud mom. I have worked with dozens of not for profits, small businesses and community groups in the neighborhood in my many years leading three city agencies.
2. As we live longer and healthier lives, what are your priorities with respect to promoting equity across all ages in our City?
Rebecca Lamorte
To promote equity we need to more robustly fund senior and community based services that will support the housing , healthcare, food, social and emotional well-being of aging New Yorkers. As a part of this we must ensure there is the affordable housing in our City that will remain affordable in perpetuity and allow New Yorkers to age in place.
Chris Sosa
Age equity is an ongoing concern in New York City and we aren’t doing enough to address it. Ensuring that seniors can remain in the homes and neighborhoods to which they have dedicated their lives is a top priority. As a City Council member, I will build a coalition and harness support for a comprehensive senior housing plan that will guarantee the continued creation of affordable housing for seniors, preservation of existing senior housing and prioritization of senior funding in budget negotiations. I will fight for funding for dedicated affordable senior housing that offers on-site support services for aging residents. These housing models should mitigate isolation, a common issue in the senior community, by utilizing designs that foster social interaction and connection. I will advocate for the expansion of senior-specific funding for the Department for the Aging and the Department of Housing Preservation and Development.
Tricia Shimamura
I am proud to be running a campaign focused on creating an affordable, resilient, and equitable New York City for all our community members - especially seniors. I am particularly focused on championing policies to uplift senior residents who have all too often struggled to navigate our city’s affordability crisis, inaccessible built environment, and failure to invest in our care economy. Approximately 65% of seniors spend more than half of their income on rent, and even those receiving city assistance are often the targets of eviction and harassment by landlords - I will fight to keep housing for seniors accessible, affordable, and safe. I am committed to providing funding, educational resources, and legislative support to healthcare providers serving seniors, and I will work to ensure that all older adults have access to high quality, dignified healthcare that is both affordable and accessible. Finally, we need to completely reimagine accessibility in our transit, housing, parks, and businesses. I will work to integrate universal design principles into all infrastructure projects and building codes to increase accessibility and make sure our city is livable for all New Yorkers.
Billy Freeland
Equity is the driving principle of my campaign.
We need a just recovery for all from Covid-19, and in creating policy plans, I have consulted experts, stakeholders and community members to consider the disparate impacts policies may have on New Yorkers of different ages and backgrounds. My platform includes proposals for universal childcare, school integration, a public bank that provides financial services to underbanked and underserved communities, robust mental health services, dramatically increasing our affordable housing stock, turning our streets and open spaces into invaluable community assets, and making fast, reliable public transit accessible for everyone. When policymakers take a holistic, inclusive approach to building strong, healthy communities, we can ensure no New Yorker is left behind.
It is important that we acknowledge New York’s failure to adequately care for older adults during Covid-19. Too many lives were lost, and too many older people were left isolated. Deaths would have been prevented, and quality of life improved, had nursing homes, care facilities, and individual seniors been adequately supported and managed. The workers who care for older New Yorkers always have been and always will be essential. Moving forward, I am committed to using my power in the City government making sure older adults, and the people who care for them, are prioritized.
Kim Moscaritolo
I will absolutely promote equity and dignity across all ages as Council Member. First, I will focus on accessibility. This means improving curb cuts, fixing potholes, plowing streets, sidewalks and bus & bike lanes. It also means investing more resources and demanding better oversight of Access-a-Ride.
I will also prioritize adapting in the face of a rapidly changing climate. We need to fight heat risk by retrofitting buildings to reduce carbon emissions and cool down our city. We also need greater access to cooling centers and we need to work to provide every household with an air conditioner.
I have a thorough plan for equitable transportation, which includes real investments in our public transportation system, from services to increasing busways and improving accessibility. We must greatly improve bus service, especially the M31 along York Ave, which many seniors use to get to medical appointments.
I have a track record of fighting for tenants’ rights and against predatory landlords. As Council Member, I’ll fight for right to counsel, Good Cause Eviction, and rent relief, to keep people in their homes with dignity.
Finally, I will fight for investments in the public good — allocating resources to our parks and greenspaces, our libraries, to public transportation, and to our public hospitals. I will focus on services for all New Yorkers, especially our most vulnerable neighbors.
Julie Menin
The city is in crisis and we must implement bold and impactful change to address education, record unemployment, wage stagnation, vacancy, the plight of small businesses, climate change, restorative justice and the health crisis of COVID which is having a disproportionate impact on black and brown and LGBTQ+ communities. My top priorities are education, affordable housing and economic development, all with a sustainability and equity inclusion lens.
An important step towards achieving an equitable city is ensuring that all New Yorkers can age with dignity in place. To accomplish this, I will push for significantly expanded affordable housing construction and rental assistance programs so that everyone has access to a high quality home they can permanently afford. I would build off of the success cities such as DC have had providing aging residents with free or subsidized installation of the equipment required to make their homes elder friendly. And I would expand NORCs so that more people can have access to the care and services they need without having to move into a dedicated home.
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.
Rebecca Lamorte
I support increasing funding for the Department of Aging. We need to support New Yorkers aging in place with dignity and that can only be done by increasing funding for support services that include but aren't limited to housing , healthcare, food, social and emotional well-being. I would like to see more resources put towards healthcare that will help New Yorkers secure the in home care they need and allow them the real option of aging in place and not having to go to a nursing or care facility. Additionally I want healthcare funding to include mental health needs. The isolation of COVID-19 is negatively impacting the social and emotional health of older New Yorkers and must be addressed.
Chris Sosa
We must increase funding for the Department for the Aging. Expansion of all senior programs and services is required in order to keep up with the growing population of older New Yorkers. Before the pandemic, the number of older adults experiencing homelessness in New York City was expected to triple by 2030. The increase in unemployment and housing insecurity as a result of the COVID pandemic will likely result in a much higher number. As a City Council member, I will call on the newly elected mayor to honor de Blasio’s 2017 promise of $18 million in senior center funding. As I mentioned previously, I am committed to creating a comprehensive senior housing plan that provides affordable housing to all seniors in need and permanent on-site services for all, regardless of race, ethnicity, income level or immigration status.
Tricia Shimamura
Yes absolutely. I am in full support of increasing the budget for DFTA. DFTA runs a wide variety of programs intended to support senior citizens. This vital department needs increased funding for the Assigned Counsel Project to support eligible seniors who are at risk of eviction. DFTA also needs to increase funding to employ additional caseworkers who can help connect senior citizens to the resources they are eligible for, such as SNAP benefits, that too frequently go underused. New York also has record long waiting lists for home health aides and case management. Cuts to DFTA’s budget have contributed to these delays, and funding is needed to adequately expand home-care and case management programs.
Billy Freeland
Yes, absolutely. Currently, less than half of 1% of the City budget is dedicated to DFTA, even though NYC is home to over 1.2 million seniors. 21.5% of District 5 is over 65. I am committed to right-sizing the senior services budget. It’s especially important that food programs, including meal delivery programs, are fully funded; I echo calls to add $16.6 million to home-delivered meal funding in light of increased demand. Most older adults prefer to age in place and remain in their homes as opposed to in long-term care facilities. I believe we must direct more resources to support programs that will enrich the lives of people aging in place and ensure they can do so safely, including senior centers. These programs should include subsidized exercise and educational programs, social engagements at community centers, transportation assistance, and full access to healthcare, including home health aides, prescription medications, in-home medical visits, social work assessments, and physical therapy sessions. In order to ensure seniors can access these services, we need to restore discretionary and executive funding in the City budget.
Kim Moscaritolo
Absolutely. DFTA was significantly underfunded in last year's budget and is still owed 5 million dollars that had been promised. As Council Member, I would do everything in my power to restore that funding, and to expand programs that provide food and other services to seniors throughout the city.
Julie Menin
New York’s seniors have been some of those most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. We have a duty to ensure our aging New Yorkers are well cared for, and so I support initiatives to fully fund effective care such as Senior Centers, NORCs, in-home services, etc.
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.
Rebecca Lamorte
I support implementing a Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) increase and the full implementation of the Indirect Cost Rate (ICR) initiative for non-profits. Many older New Yorkers are on a fixed income and adjustments must be made as retirement savings are used and the financial stability of an individual or family changes.
Chris Sosa
Human services workers deserve more than a living wage - they deserve an income that reflects the skills, training, and daily dedication that is required of them. I will support implementing a COLA increase for city-contracted human service workers as well as the full implementation of the ICR initiative for non-profits. I will support a 3% increase for personal services, as recommended by LiveON NY during negotiations for the 2021 fiscal year.
Tricia Shimamura
Yes, I support implementing a COLA increase for city-contracted human service workers - these employees are essential and should be able to survive in New York City. I also support the full implementation of the Indirect Cost Rate initiative. New York City must commit to strengthening the health and human service infrastructure through increased funding, and this initiative will give non-profits the stability of standardized payments at a fair rate.
Billy Freeland
Yes. Human service providers are critical to the health and well-being of NYC’s older adults, but these workers are often underpaid and undervalued. It’s unacceptable that the City allowed COLA to expire in the middle of a pandemic; New York City has both a moral and practical responsibility to restore COLA for all human services contracts to a rate of at least 3%. By retroactively cutting ICR, the City hurt service providers’ ability to pay their staff. This funding is critical to meeting the overhead costs that keep essential services and community organizations running.
Kim Moscaritolo
Yes, I support implementing a Cost of Living Adjustment increase for city-contracted human service workers and the full implementation of the Indirect Cost Rate initiative for non-profits. Many of the non-profits that assisted the communities hardest hit by COVID-19 need more funding, not less. The city must reimburse the true indirect costs of providing services.
Julie Menin
In the last year, it has become more readily apparent than ever how essential our human service workers are. I support initiatives such as a Cost of Living Adjustment and the Indirect Cost Rate to ensure those New Yorkers whose work is so vital to our city are able to live fairly.
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?
Rebecca Lamorte
I will build more affordable housing targeted at low and middle incomes, specifically working to build housing that will be affordable in perpetuity so seniors can age in place. To evaluate affordable senior housing proposals, I'll review the income levels being targeted, how savings or other benefits factor in to securing the housing, support services offered in the housing and/or nearby, and then speak with seniors in our community to get feedback on the proposal.
Chris Sosa
As a City Council member I will work on a housing plan that prevents displacement of seniors who can no longer afford to live in their communities. I support permanent supportive housing, which will provide affordable housing to people who have experienced homelessness in addition to support services including substance abuse treatment, mental health services, and general medical care. We should provide funding for permanent supportive housing that is specifically designated for older residents, with senior-specific care services alongside other on-site care. I will support all ULURP proposals that promise sufficient affordable housing, especially for seniors.
Tricia Shimamura
As a social worker, I am deeply committed to fighting for all seniors to have access to the resources and support they need to age in place with dignity. This starts with prioritizing affordable senior housing. First, we must close the remaining legal loopholes that landlords use to deny housing to older adults paying with Section 8 vouchers. We must also expand and reform the SCRIE program to include seniors in market-rate units (and be responsive to recipients’ shifting financial circumstances). I firmly support expanding the Section 202 program to provide affordable housing with home-care services to very low-income seniors who wish to live independently - this program is critically neglected. I will fight to increase Section 202 program funding and construct more Section 202 housing in New York City to provide housing for an estimated 200,000 seniors on the waiting list. I will support thoughtful, care-oriented affordable senior housing proposals in my district during the ULURP process. There is a clear need for more units, and I believe every neighborhood must step up and provide more housing.
Billy Freeland
NYCHA is currently one of the largest providers of affordable housing for seniors in New York. 38% of households in NYCHA buildings are headed by older adults. The problems that plague NYCHA facilities, including failing appliances, moisture and mold, and unaddressed repairs, are especially difficult for older adults who may have other health challenges. As a Council Member, I will fight for vastly increased capital funding to close the $40 billion NYCHA capital backlog to protect the health and safety of public housing residents. For those who do not already live in affordable or public housing, we must cap rent at 30% of household income so that seniors are not skipping meals or doctors’ appointments to pay the monthly bills. Funding must be increased at the city and state level to expand HUD 202-style services to all who need it. The demand for affordable housing for seniors far outpaces the supply; some people face untenable wait times upwards of 10.3 years. It is the responsibility of the City government to increase the number of units available to seniors and increase co-located service provision in senior residential communities -- services that can provide the support residents need to age in place without entering nursing homes. In the ULURP process I will support proposals that will increase the diversity and strength of services available to older adults, whose needs for support services vary widely, and increase funding service subsidies for all residents, not just the formerly homeless. Like all new developments, senior housing proposals should be subject to rigorous racial and social impact assessments; in particular, districts like my own that have relatively few options for affordable housing should be tapped for senior and supportive housing development. I believe there should be an immediate moratorium on the sale of City-owned land to for-profit developers, will push for a revamped 21st-century Mitchell-Lama, and will work to identify areas in District 5 where permanently affordable and supportive public housing, with set-asides for seniors and homeless New Yorkers, can be built.
Kim Moscaritolo
First, I will work to protect rent stabilized housing, by cracking down on landlords who attempt to illegally deregulate units. I will also advocate that the City do more to assist people in applying for DRIE and SCRIE, and to expand DRIE and SCRIE to all apartments, not just rent stabilized apartments. I am a strong supporter of affordable housing, and I will fight to keep people in their homes, by supporting Right to Counsel, Good Cause Eviction, and rent relief.
I will fight for investments in NYCHA. According to Live On's testimony, 38% of NYCHA households are headed by an older adult age 62 and over, and an estimated 7,700 units are designated specifically for older adults. We must increase capital funding for NYCHA, improve elevator service, retrofit buildings for heat and flood risk, and invest in major repairs throughout NYCHA.
In land use and zoning, I will demand more income-restricted housing, particularly for seniors, whenever we are granting exemptions. We should utilize city-owned land and properties to build 100% income restricted housing.
Julie Menin
If elected, working towards more affordable housing will be one of my top priorities as a Councilmember. I believe that we must look at all available tools to fight housing inequality and homelessness, including city-owned vacant lots (many of which have been vacant for decades). I support Comptroller Stringer’s call on the City Council to create a New York City Land Bank to identify developers and enter into long-term lease agreements. This type of measure could make our City more affordable to working families. I would also advocate ULURP reform that creates a more equitable city and that reduces the need for community benefit agreements--these agreements are often negotiated with groups that do not represent the needs of neighborhoods and are done in an opaque way.
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?
Rebecca Lamorte
I want the City to create a free broadband internet service for all New Yorkers. We can no longer pretend internet access is a luxury or optional service to have. We need to provide as a free, public service for all New Yorkers and offer educational support for New Yorkers in need of assistance learning to use the internet and technology to access it.
Chris Sosa
Providing technology access and education is more important than ever, especially for older adults during the COVID pandemic. One of the most important ways that we can ensure digital access for all is by guaranteeing affordable, reliable, high-speed broadband service to the entire City. As a City Council member I will call for the prioritization of accessible internet. Senior centers are one of our essential tools in bridging the digital divide. We should expand the number of Innovative Senior Centers (ISCs) throughout the City, and ensure that every senior New Yorker has access to recreational, cultural and athletic activities as well as wellness programs and technology resources. I will work to create partnerships between Older Adults Technology Services (OATS) and community centers and affordable housing complexes across the City, so that every senior can access computers, internet, and technology assistance and training.
Tricia Shimamura
The pandemic has revealed how important technological access is towards participating in the workforce, tapping into telemedicine resources, and combating social isolation. Bridging the digital divide is absolutely critical, and it’s why I am wholeheartedly committed to enacting universal broadband in New York City. As a Council Member, I will also support increased access to technology for seniors, including educational resources, technical assistance, and funding our libraries, senior centers, and other community hubs that provide programming for older adults. The City should also support and empower nonprofit organizations to provide engagement, education, and enrichment programs for older residents. Programs like NYCHA's Senior Companion Program are a critical piece of the mission to allow seniors to age with dignity. I will support measures that fund community-rooted programs for senior education, particularly regarding technology.
Billy Freeland
As our world becomes more and more integrated with (and dependent on) digital technology, we’ve begun to see more and more people, especially older adults, struggling or left behind when it comes to access and use of technology. Due to COVID-19, nearly all of our social and professional interactions have moved online, exacerbating these challenges and leaving the one in three New Yorkers above age 60 who do not have internet access isolated. In addition to the fact that aging in place essentially requires both digital devices and digital skills, virtual connections can offer new benefits to older adults (like telehealth medicine or virtual participation in social events or classes), so it’s important that the city invests in these technologies. Libraries, museums, and other social service programs should have staff that can assist older adults in building their Internet skills to access services. Senior housing facilities and NORCs should offer scheduled group programming and ad-hoc individual instruction so people can easily get assistance when they need it. The City should allocate funding for NYC Health + Hospitals to assist low-income older patients through telehealth visits, and continue establishing and expanding partnerships that will lower the costs of internet services and devices themselves. In my office, I will expand constituent services to meet my neighbors where they are and respond to their concerns, including by physically visiting senior housing and NORCs and responding directly to residents’ needs.
Kim Moscaritolo
The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us that access to technology can no longer be considered a luxury, it is a necessity. I will work to provide everyone in the city with access to broadband and devices such as laptops or tablets. I will also fight for investments in technology training in our senior centers, by leveraging relationships with tech companies in the city and working alongside established community groups.
Julie Menin
If elected, I will work with community leaders and activists in this space to ensure that older adults in New York are connected with the resources they need. As a three-time former city Commissioner, I have experience working with diverse stakeholders and listening to those advocates that understand the issues on the ground in order to connect constituents with the services they need. As Commissioner of Consumer Affairs, I doubled down our agency's efforts to crack down on elder abuse, leading to the largest settlement in the agency’s history against predatory lenders. The cost of not providing access to technology, as well as tech literacy and training, is high. Predatory schemes will always exist, and the best way to fight them is through teaching our elderly how to spot and avoid them. Before that, I worked with the NY Bar to create teams of pro-bono lawyers to help people and small businesses reach the help they need. As the Census Director, I invested in non-profit groups and community activism, such as the 92nd Street Y and the Stanley Isaacs Coalition, trusting those closest to vulnerable communities. One such group, OATS, has been at the forefront of bridging the digital divide among older Americans, and was instrumental to the success of our Census elder outreach program. I would pursue similar models to address this issue.
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?
Rebecca Lamorte
The City needs to partner with more community-based services already operating in communities and coordinate meal and other services through them. They have the infrastructure and existing relationships that will best serve the needs of older New Yorkers. For example, the Isaacs Center in my community has been able to coordinate food deliveries and virtual events with City Harvest and other delivery systems.
Chris Sosa
In the event of a future emergency the City should immediately seek collaboration with willing non-profits, and coordinate resources and services to ensure that seniors receive adequate care during an emergency. The City should be ready to handle any health emergency that might impact seniors at higher levels with prepared social distancing plans, adequate PPE supplies, and appropriately staffed health centers and hospitals. Nonprofits that work with seniors on a regular basis are the best equipped to provide counsel and resources in these situations. They also have open communication within senior communities that should be used to deliver necessary information. The City must also commit to covering all of the indirect costs that nonprofits often incur in serving seniors during emergencies and beyond them, an issue that I will strongly advocate for during budget negotiations.
Tricia Shimamura
While senior centers have continued to provide critical services to older adults throughout the pandemic, it is imperative that they are able to begin the process of re-opening in person, in accordance with CDC guidelines. I will fight to ensure that the city’s budget provides senior centers with the funding they need, and will advocate to Albany to ensure that Social Adult Day Services are once again covered under the State’s Medicaid-sponsored managed long-term care plans (MLTCPs) benefit package. Nonprofits providing care and food must receive the funding necessary to meet increased needs and to provide PPE to employees and volunteers. I am committed to fulfilling the promises made to our nonprofit partners regarding indirect costs. Nonprofits struggle to provide fair wages to their workers while also covering indirect costs associated with their services. In FY20, the City announced that it would only cover 60% of indirect costs and FY21 is likely to be lower. I will fight for increased funding to our nonprofits to cover indirect costs, as well as new initiatives to help support our nonprofit workers who are caring for our seniors.
Billy Freeland
As we work to emerge from the COVID-19 crisis, City and state government must prioritize reopening senior centers safely and transparently. As we all know, seniors have been most acutely affected by the pandemic, and while physical distancing has been key to preventing spread of COVID-19, we must acknowledge and address the risks of social and physical isolation and find creative solutions to support seniors’ mental health in addition to their physical health. At minimum, DOHMH and DFTA should coordinate to set clear and comprehensive standards for the resumption of in-person services at senior centers and NORCs. In the event of future crises, the City needs to better leverage senior centers and nonprofits to facilitate access to resources and social services, the needs for which will always remain even (and especially) in the face of an emergency that affects public health and the economy. A central theme of my candidacy is rethinking the way we provide social services and coordinating holistic responses to community needs -- in the future, senior centers should be viewed as critical community hubs, not optional services that fall by the wayside in the face of budget shortfalls. DFTA should facilitate partnerships between nonprofit organizations, senior centers, and other government agencies to truly integrate older adults into the community -- making senior centers official distribution centers for emergency materials, central locations to access power, hot water, or a meal in case of weather disasters, and places where any New Yorker can get assistance in enrolling in benefit programs.
Kim Moscaritolo
First and foremost, the city must work with existing community organizations and utilize their extensive networks to effectively distribute meals to seniors. The city must also understand that many seniors do not have regular access to the internet and technology, and cannot over-rely on online applications and forms, and therefore make applications and forms accessible to those who cannot use the internet. Finally, the city must rapidly develop a concrete plan to allow senior centers and other community organizations to open safely in-person.
Julie Menin
As I wrote in an op-ed in the New York Daily News recently, to properly serve all New Yorkers through the pandemic, the City must work more closely with nonprofits and community leaders to connect marginalized New Yorkers to the resources they need. This is true of the vaccine process, but it is also true of meal delivery and Senior Centers. This is personal to me, as my father is homebound and thus was unable to receive his vaccine until long after he first became eligible. We as a city need to invest far more in the people on the ground who form and serve communities. They know best what their community needs, and we must give them the resources required to meet those needs.
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.
Rebecca Lamorte
As a disabled New Yorker, the inaccessibility of our community is something I live with everyday. To empower disabled and older New Yorkers, I want to overhaul our streetscape to prioritize the needs of pedestrians first and foremost, increase accessibility in our public transit and streetscape, and promote equity in our public hospital system as many private hospitals in the district are now rejecting Medicare and Medicaid plans. I also want to increase funding for safety net resources that offer rental, food, healthcare and other assistance for New Yorkers.
Chris Sosa
Seniors are the foundation of our District 5 community. We have a responsibility to make sure that we’re listening to them, respecting them, and making sure that they are able to age in our neighborhoods with dignity. Seniors deserve well funded senior centers that are fully accessible and welcoming to every New Yorker regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, or immigration status. I strongly support the establishment of a low-entry Safe Haven in our District, which will offer 88 beds for New Yorkers experiencing homelessness. A portion of these beds should be made specifically available to older adults. Approximately 22% of New Yorkers aged 65 to 75 and 59.8% of New Yorkers 75 and older have a disability. Often, the mobility of older adults in our community is impaired by our public transportation system, which is sorely lacking in accessible infrastructure. I will fight for increased investment in the MTA that is dependent on accessibility infrastructure. I will also demand a standardization of nursing home and health facility care. The COVID pandemic exposed severe failures in some nursing homes, including Coler Rehabilitation and Nursing Care Facility on Roosevelt Island, District 5’s only public hospital. When H+H made the decision to put COVID-19 patients in the nursing home Coler residents, many of whom were at risk of severe COVID, faced unnecessary exposure to COVID-19, negligence, and insufficient PPE. As a City Council member I will call for a full investigation of disaster and hold those responsible fully accountable. I will also call for a standardization of care in nursing homes and health care facilities, and make sure that older New Yorkers always receive high quality and affordable medical services.
Tricia Shimamura
As a social worker, I am deeply committed to taking a comprehensive, intersectional approach to how we tackle issues that impact seniors. We must critically assess how our policies affect senior community members’ abilities to age in place with dignity.
Many seniors struggle navigating New York City due to an inaccessible built environment. I will support implementing universal design principles into all infrastructure projects and building codes so the city can increase accessibility. One of my priorities once elected is to ensure that projects like universal curb cuts are fast-tracked to increase accessibility for seniors and disabled residents. I will also push to ensure that all public transit is accessible. In order to make Access-a-Ride vehicles more accessible, I will work with the MTA to increase the number of AAR vehicles to better match demand, particularly during peak travel hours.
Mobile clinics, library programs, and food banks all act as care providers in my district. They are an important source of information and services, and they are often the first to notice if something is amiss with individual residents. I will fight to increase aid to these programs, incorporating them into the city's official care network. These organizations should also be incorporated into the process for developing new senior care programs.
NYCHA is the largest housing provider in the city, and roughly 10,000 NYCHA units are designated for seniors. NYCHA residents in my district have consistently seen problems such as broken elevators, rampant pests, unmanaged heat and frequent hallway fires go unaddressed. These issues disproportionately impact people living with disabilities in NYCHA and cannot be allowed to continue. We must streamline the ticketing and repairs processes and reform NYCHA’s operating procedures to put more power in the hands of tenants.
Billy Freeland
My “Transportation Renaissance” plan imagines a New York where open space and public transit are safe, affordable, valuable resources for all New Yorkers, including and especially older adults. District 5 is relatively well-connected by traditional forms of public transit (subway and bus), but many older neighbors feel unsafe or unsteady navigating subway stations, especially those that are not ADA-compliant -- and all but one of the Lexington Ave stations in-district are inaccessible. This is unacceptable. And when our buses run at or below 4 MPH, many seniors find themselves without a realistic or efficient option to get where they need to go. Additionally, our streets are dominated by car drivers, many of whom disobey posted regulations and speed limits and create dangerous conditions for pedestrians. Under my plan, we could vastly increase the amount of safe, walkable, pedestrian-focused street space and green space in District 5, create protected bike lanes that keep both cyclists and pedestrians safe, build new bus infrastructure to create a true Bus Rapid Transit network, drastically improve sanitation, and overhaul street design to ensure compliance with low speed limits. I’m excited about this plan -- but an age-friendly District 5 doesn’t start and end with public transit. I will also advocate for the passage of the New York Health Act on a state level, to increase DOHMH funding for targeted mental health support services for people of all ages, and provide sufficient funding so that New Yorkers who require skilled nursing care are able to access it without compromising their families’ financial stability.
Kim Moscaritolo
Accessibility is key. We must improve our streetscape, by ensuring that all sidewalks have usable curb cuts, and that in the winter snow is shoveled. We must also invest more resources and demand better oversight of Access-a-Ride, which many mobility-impaired seniors rely on. We should use the Council's oversight powers to audit the Access-A-Ride program and identify ways to reform its operations. We should also allow riders to apply for Access-a-Ride without having to visit an in-person assessment center.
I have a thorough plan to improve our public transportation system, with real investments in accessibility and increasing busways, to work for all New Yorkers. I also would fight for more equitability in health care, with more investments into public hospitals, implicit bias training, and language interpretation services, so that everyone has access to affordable healthcare, regardless of ability to pay.
I care deeply about resilience and adaptability in the face of the climate crisis. I would advocate for deep retrofits of our buildings to mitigate heat risk and flood risk, to keep seniors in their homes with dignity.
Julie Menin
If elected to the City Council, I will fight for a more accessible district and city. We need ADA compliance in our subway system, to make our accessible buses run faster to facilitate mobility for people with disabilities, and to hold developers accountable to enforce changes in our existing public square to make New York accessible and enjoyable for all New Yorkers. I also support realizing Vision Zero to tackle pedestrian safety and ADA compliance. This includes widening sidewalks and building more bump outs, which shorten the length of crosswalks. As chair of Community Board 1, I instituted a precursor to today’s Open Streets program, pedestrianizing Broad Street. Over night, we turned a dangerous, traffic clogged street into a beautiful pedestrian plaza that provided a safe passage for pedestrians to walk far away from car traffic. I support expanding Open Streets across District 5 so that a route free from cars is always nearby.
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.
Rebecca Lamorte
I want to defund the NYPD and reallocate that funding and work done to other agencies that will better serve New Yorkers. As we face a budget shortfall and have asked agencies to cut funding, the NYPD hasn't been held to the same standard and absolutely must be.
Chris Sosa
We overspend in numerous areas of the city budget. For example, the NYPD’s budget is bloated and unnecessary. We must divert $3 billion towards social services that actively serve our community. Our criminal justice system consistently threatens the lives, mental health and financial stability of BIPOC residents, including older community members. By reallocating funds from the police budget we can create a just approach to public safety that doesn’t involve incarcerating older adults for decades for non-violent crimes. Our resources should always be allocated to those most in need and solutions should be human-centered.
Tricia Shimamura
I believe in reducing the NYPD budget by at least $1 billion dollars, and directly reallocating funding to social services that support our seniors, low income communities, families, and students. We must invest in preserving NYCHA and fight for additional funds on the State and Federal level. We must also invest in resources to help immigrant New Yorkers, critical youth programs like SYEP, and services for our seniors. The City’s budget document should reflect the values of the City and I will fight to better balance our budget, permanently shifting funds to more directly serve our vulnerable New Yorkers.
Billy Freeland
New York City will inevitably face budget shortfalls in the aftermath of Covid-19. I do not believe that education, healthcare, financial assistance, or other social service programs should be cut in the face of budget shortfalls. Too often, we see libraries, school enrichment, senior services, and climate-friendly projects slashed from budgets as though they were unnecessary dead weight. I believe that these services are integral to a safe and healthy city, and will advocate for them during budget processes. On the other hand, the NYPD is the most expensive police department in the country, and I believe that the agency’s budget has ballooned out of proportion to the City’s needs. By implementing a hiring freeze on new officers, reducing the uniformed officer headcount, and moving certain functions (like mental health calls, routine traffic stops, school safety, transit safety, and homeless outreach) out of the NYPD, we can decrease the disproportionate financial power of the NYPD and increase funding for important safety services.
I am also committed to finding new sources of revenue at the City level and lobbying for new revenue streams at the state level. We should be increasing taxes on the super-wealthy and on corporations that pollute our water and air, implementing congestion pricing in the central business district, increasing payroll taxes for the largest companies in the City, and taxing pied-a-terre apartments that have remained vacant as wealthy owners “escaped” during the pandemic.
Kim Moscaritolo
I would look to savings within the budget, such as procurement reform. I would advocate for a reallocation of funding from certain agencies to social services, particularly those that serve senior populations. Finally, I would advocate in Albany for more revenue raisers to offset any budget shortfalls in the city.
Julie Menin
While federal aid to our city is absolutely vital, it is a one-time fix, and we need to deploy long-term solutions as well. We must stop the tide of people leaving New York City which, as the city’s former Census Director responsible for ensuring a proper and full count, I saw first hand when COVID hit. I also think we need to train a sharp eye on the city budget, trim the parts of non-performing programs such as Thrive that have not performed, and take a look at spending and waste. The mayor has increased the number of special advisors and consultants to city hall by 204% since 2013. This ballooning spending on redundant functions places an undue burden on the city budget. Through my experience leading three city agencies, I know how the budget is built and how to evaluate it. I will work to find redundancies and reduce waste so that we can solve the budget deficit without adversely affecting city operations or social services or putting undue burdens on New Yorkers working to put their lives back in order. As a former City Commissioner, I understand the budget and know how to prioritize. Programs like summer youth employment that would have funded 70,000 youths, many of whom are at risk, are vital to the long-term well being of our city.
10. How should your constituents look to measure your success in achieving your responses outlined above?
Rebecca Lamorte
I want my constituents to measure success based on results. This should include honoring my commitments on housing, disability and economic justice, and having these commitments lead to tangible change in our community and city.
Chris Sosa
When older adults are recognized as full, active, and respected members of the community our work will have been successful.
Tricia Shimamura
I aim to make my City Council office open and responsive to my district, and this transparency will allow constituents to see how I am following through on my promises. My office will be open to community members from day one, and as a City Council Member, I will hire social workers on staff to prioritize providing responsive, culturally-sensitive constituent services to my district. I will remain a strong partner of my community board, neighborhood associations, tenants groups, and small businesses and will ensure that I am always uplifting their voices and vision in my service. My constituents should look to my votes and the funding that I prioritize to see that I am following through on my promises. They should also look to my participation in community meetings to see that I am remaining committed to my community’s needs.
Billy Freeland
There’s a saying, “Don’t tell me what you value. Show me your budget.” I hope constituents will first look to how I use discretionary funds. I will expand on Council Member Kallos’s commitment to funding programs for older adults in our neighborhood, including Older Adults Technology Services, Stanley Isaacs Neighborhood Center, Health Advocates for Older People, Search and Care, Moving for Life, Lenox Hill Neighborhood House, Carter Burden Center for the Aging, and so much more. Constituents should also look to my advocacy to increase funding for the Department of the Aging, which is currently a shameful less than half of 1% of our city budget. More than 1 in 5 residents in District 5 are older adults, and we need a budget that reflects this. Constituents should also judge me by my commitment to effectively serving my community and responding to the needs and concerns of my neighbors. That means continuing Council Member Kallos’ tradition of First Fridays and expanding them to meet people where they’re at -- whether virtually, by scheduling meetings at convenient times, or in person, by bringing First Fridays directly to residential buildings and senior centers. By consistently and actively reaching out to district residents, including and especially those who are less likely to participate in politics, I hope to build an effective relationship with the people I’ll be working for. I hope that District 5 residents will see concrete results from my time in office, including more walkable and accessible open space, clean and safe streets, robust and fully-funded social services, and more affordable housing in District 5, to name a few.
Kim Moscaritolo
I believe constituents should always look at results. As Council Member, I will be committed to fighting for our most vulnerable populations, and I expect to be judged on those results. I will ensure that constituents have many opportunities to contact my office for questions or comments, by hosting mobile office hours and having open meetings during various days and times to accommodate constituents’ varying schedules, remotely and in-person. I will be sure to actively promote our work to the community, and seek real community input for all legislation, particularly from community members who have been left out in the past.
Julie Menin
As a member of a 51 person City Council, it would be irresponsible for me to guarantee my constituents can measure my success based on any one policy implementation. What I can guarantee, however, is that, as your Councilwoman, I will always be a fierce advocate for my district, and I will always be a responsive advocate for my constituents. If constituents or advocacy groups have concerns about particular action or inaction at the City Council, I will always be available to listen and learn from my constituents, and I will commit to taking their experiences to the City Council with me.