While there's much still to be done, today, we're celebrating the strides made in this year's State Budget — namely funding to address waiting lists for senior services!

Thank you to all of the organizations and individuals that made calls, sent emails, and raised your voices to advocate for senior services to receive additional support in the New York State Fiscal Year 2021-2022 Budget. Late Tuesday night, the state finalized a budget that included significant changes to the states revenue sources, support of excluded workers, funding for education, and new investments in senior services such as funding to address waiting lists and more.

Below represents an overview of changes related to items LiveOn NY, and our members and partners, have advocated for in the budget:

NEW FUNDING WINS

$8 million to address waiting lists for services throughout New York State.
$2,022,013 to provide a 1% Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) to human services workers contracted through NY State Office for the Aging (NY), as well as additional funding for 1% COLAs through other agencies.
$250,000 to bolster the Long-Term Care Ombudsmen Program.
$950,000 to support Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORCs), particularly with respect to the provision of nursing services.
Year 6 of the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative (ESSHI) capital funding.
$13 million for a first-of-its-kind AAPI Emergency Fund $10 million of which will be allocated to community-based organizations and $3 million to implement data disaggregation.

In addition to Governor Cuomo, LiveOn NY shares our deepest thanks to our champions in the legislature that fought to make these wins possible: Senate Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins, Speaker Heastie, Senate Aging Chair Senator May, Assembly Aging Chair Assembly Member Kim, and long-standing champions Senator Krueger, Senator Addabbo, Senator Biaggi, Assembly Member Joyner, and Assembly Member Niou, and freshman champion, Assembly Member Clark, among others.

Our State Work Doesn't Stop Here...

Below are priorities that we will continue to build momentum to be included in future budgets and through the end of this legislative session:

Full funding for waiting lists. While the additional $8 million allocated this year is significant, we needed $27 million to end waiting lists in New York this year. We won't stop fighting for it.
Fair Pay for Home Care to ensure all home care workers can receive a living wage.
Additional funding for the Long-Term Care Ombudmen Program, investments in the technology infrastructure of senior services providers, and funding for senior nutrition.
Enactment of legislation, including:
- S64 / A1524 Statewide SNAP Restaurant Meals Program
- S598B / A3922 Reimagining Long-Term Care Task Force
- S2193 / A3807 Affordable Housing Five-Year Capital Plan