LiveOn NY Applauds Governor Hochul Commitment to Older New Yorkers in Her State of the State Address

January 13, 2023 (New York, NY) – This Tuesday, Governor Hochul held her State of the State address, articulating policy and budgetary priorities for the coming session including aging related commitments to support all New Yorkers as we age. LiveOn NY applauds Governor Hochul commitments outlined in the agenda, which serve as significant markers of what's likely to come on the state level this year.

"LiveOn NY thanks Governor Hochul for her commitment to support all older New Yorkers as well as direct providers, organizations and agencies who provide critical services that allow older adults to age in community," stated Allison Nickerson, Executive Director of LiveOn NY. "We look forward to working with the Governor and her counterparts in the Legislature to enact these key pieces of her agenda and to continue to push forward in making New York a better place to age."

Most notable aging related commitments include:

Ensure Access to Aging Services and High-Quality Long-Term Care: To ensure access to aging services, high-quality long-term care, and the ability for senior New Yorkers and their caregivers to make informed choices on where to seek care, Governor Hochul aim to:

Invest in care teams to provide care for low income adults in their home, helping to ensure New Yorkers can age in place.
Provide respite care for high-need family caregivers, granting relief for those who oversee care of their loved ones.
Establish quality reporting and accreditation for assisted living residences and implement quality improvement initiatives in nursing homes to promote transparency and make it easier for New Yorkers to make informed choices

Create Housing for Older LGBTQ+ New Yorkers: Older LGBTQ+ New Yorkers face distinct challenges in accessing affordable and affirming housing. Smaller family support networks make LGBTQ+ seniors more reliant on community service providers. Many older LGBTQ+ residents put off important housing decisions out of fear of being mistreated by housing providers and neighbors alike. Governor Hochul will direct HCR to provide funding specifically for affordable housing projects that are LGBTQ+-affirming for older New Yorkers.
Authorize the City of New York to Legalize Basement Apartments, that would “propose providing the City of New York with the local authority to provide amnesty by local law for existing basement units that meet health and safety standards to be determined by the City.”
Increase the housing stock in the state by 800,000 over 10 years to address the state's lack of housing development that has led to a shortage of affordable housing and aim to reduce housing costs and allow people to afford to stay in their communities as they age.

Read the 2023 State of the State for additional information.

Press Contact:

Kevin Kiprovski, Director of Public Policy, kkiprovski@liveon-ny.org

Brianna Paden-Williams, Communications and Policy Associate, bpaden-williams@liveon-ny.org

About LiveOn NY:

LiveOn NY’s members provide the core, community-based services that allow older adults to thrive in their communities. With a base of more than 100 community-based organizations serving at least 300,000 older New Yorkers annually. Our members provide services ranging from senior centers, congregate and home-delivered meals, affordable senior housing with services, elder abuse prevention services, caregiver supports, case management, transportation, and NORCs. LiveOn NY advocates for increased funding for these vital services to improve both the solvency of the system and the overall capacity of community-based service providers.

LiveOn NY also administers a citywide outreach program and staffs a hotline that educates, screens and helps with benefit enrollment including SNAP, SCRIE and others, and also administers the Rights and Information for Senior Empowerment (RISE) program to bring critical information directly to seniors on important topics to help them age well in their communities.

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