LIVEON NY STATEMENT ON THE NEW YORK CITY FISCAL YEAR 2021 BUDGET
NEW YORK — July 6, 2020 — In response to the New York City Budget, Allison Nickerson, Executive Director of LiveOn NY, released the following statement:
There is no denying that this was a difficult budget; and that once again, human and senior services were not given the full funding deserved. To that truth, we're clear: our work will continue, in deeper earnest than before. We thank all those who have joined us in this work and who continue to make their voice heard in an effort to make New York a better place to age.
We are appreciative that the Mayor and the Council were able to pass an on-time budget under such dire circumstances, and are especially grateful for the continued support and allocation of resources towards the City’s emergency food program. We are hopeful that these resources will support not only New Yorkers in need, but the non-profit community-based organizations with the capacity to do this important work.
We must, however, highlight that the agreed upon FY21 budget will result in the Department for the Aging (DFTA) continuing to receive less than ½ of one percent of the overall budget and includes notable reductions in funding for senior centers and programs. Despite the austerity required in this budget, LiveOn NY affirms that this level of funding is wrong and shortchanges non-profits of their ability to meet the demands of a growing older adult population — the population most at risk to the pandemic that continues to ravage our city.
Additionally, the cuts to the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) will also challenge New York’s ability to meet the affordable housing crisis faced by older adults; this is disheartening. Nonetheless, LiveOn NY looks forward to continuing to find ways to work with the City to meet this demand, though we know this work will be more challenging than before.
With that said, LiveOn NY is also clear: if it were not for the New York City Council, the funding available for services for older adults would be far less. Given this, we thank Speaker Corey Johnson; Chair of the Aging Committee, Council Member Margaret Chin; Finance Chair, Council Member Danny Dromm; and all of the Council Members who fought for senior services funding in this year’s budget.
Indicative of the uphill battle that Council faced, we note that in FY18, Mayor de Blasio reached an agreement with the City Council that promised $10 million in funding for Senior Centers to be allocated in FY21. Despite such promises, and even prior to COVID-19 altering the City’s revenue forecast, the Mayor’s budget did not include this commitment made to seniors just years prior. This funding was not included in the Mayor’s Preliminary Budget, his Executive Budget, or the Adopted Budget. This is wrong; and therefore we request that should State, Federal, or other funding become available, or should future deficits become apparent, the Mayor prioritize senior services funding and rectify this slight to New York’s non-profits and older adults. This request to the Mayor is particularly necessary, given his statement not to consider “layoffs and furloughs so we can take from our public workforce, which is the essence of how we keep the City going and turn that money over to a nonprofit.” Respectfully, non-profits are, in-fact, what keeps the City going, to not recognize this is both disheartening and frustrating to a workforce that has been given such little recognition and financial support for their essential work. In future budget modifications, we must do better for this sector.
Our commitment to New York’s older adults is unwavering and the work continues, as we know the budget difficulties have yet to fully subside. Given this, we implore all New Yorkers to continue to fight for senior and human services. Even in difficult times, progress remains possible, and we are hopeful that together we can indeed make New York a fairer, more equitable place to age.