FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DATE: Friday, June 28th

NEW: LIVEON NY RELEASES REPORT ON CRISIS OF OLDER ADULT HOMELESSNESS & WAITLIST FOR AFFORDABLE SENIOR HOUSING

NEW YORK, NY — Today, LiveOn NY released a groundbreaking report, featured today in The New York Times detailing the severity of the older adult homelessness and affordable senior housing crisis in New York City. The report shows that states of homelessness amongst older New Yorkers have never been higher, the applications for affordable senior housing units are over 520,000 and growing daily, and that older adults in need of affordable housing have lower incomes, higher levels of disability, and belong to smaller households.

LiveOn NY is working with partner organizations and elected officials to call for real investment and solutions. This crisis can only be solved by renewed investment in the development of more affordable housing units for older people and the preservation of existing affordable housing. If the city does not act we will see a historic and tragic ballooning of the population of homeless older New Yorkers.

“This research affirms what many of our providers have already been hearing on the ground. Older New Yorkers are not receiving the critical support they need to continue to call New York City home. We can’t afford to ignore this any longer. Older adults need affordable places to live. We must restore the funding stripped from older adult services in the city budget, invest in and preserve more affordable housing units for older adults,” said Allison Nickerson, Executive Director of LiveOn NY.

“Older adults are the jewels of our communities, and they deserve to age with stability and dignity in their communities,” said Speaker Adrienne Adams. “As our city confronts record-high homelessness and rising evictions, we must deliver on investments in affordable housing production and preservation that New Yorkers are relying on. LiveOn NY’s new report underscores the urgent need to act and address the growing homelessness crisis among older adults. We owe it to our elders to get this right and ensure they have access to safe and stable homes.”

“LiveOn’s research makes clear that the issue of older adult homelessness is already a major crisis in our city––one that requires us to revamp and rethink the programs and services currently in place to address the unique housing needs of older adults,” said Council Member Crystal Hudson, Chair of the Council’s Committee on Aging. “At the same time that older adult homelessness is on the rise, so too is the demand for affordable housing specifically for older New Yorkers, and we’re not coming close to meeting this demand. The solutions we put forth now must be comprehensive and coordinated, spanning all levels of government, and enacted immediately. For example, at the municipal level, the City Council has passed the first iteration of the Age In Place NYC legislative package which includes, among other legislative victories, strengthened legal protections for older adults facing eviction and greater accessibility requirements for new buildings. Simultaneously, we must invest more deeply in the development of truly affordable housing units for older people with fixed incomes and work to preserve the existing affordable housing stock. There are steps we can take to curb this crisis, and it starts with restoring budget cuts so that our older neighbors can receive the vital services they require, from financial wellness to food security and housing.”

“The New York Community Trust is proud to be a long-term supporter of LiveOn NY’s comprehensive and crucial work to make New York a better place to age. This research highlights the urgency of the housing crisis facing older adults, who have given so much to our region and—like all New Yorkers—deserve safe, affordable housing,” said Rachel Pardoe, Senior Program Officer, Older Adults, The New York Community Trust.

“LiveOn NY’s new report underscores a critical issue that has been steadily escalating: the severe lack of affordable housing for older adults in New York City. Many older New Yorkers live on fixed incomes and struggle to pay rent. As the City’s population continues to age, these concerns will only grow. We must invest in developing new housing units for older adults and preserve existing ones. Older adults built this great city, and they deserve to age in their communities in a safe, comfortable home,” said AARP New York State Director Beth Finkel.

"The demand for affordable senior housing in our city has never been more urgent," said Monsignor Alfred P. LoPinto, President and Chief Executive Officer of Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens and Affiliated Agencies. "The Catholic Charities Bishop Rene A. Valero Senior Residence in Astoria received an overwhelming 25,000 applications for 102 apartments. This remarkable response underscores the immediate need for affordable housing options for our older adults population. We are unable to construct housing quickly enough and we appeal to our city, state, and federal partners to expand affordable housing initiatives and prevent our older residents from facing homelessness."

“Project FIND operates showers, psychiatric services, housing assistance, mail services and proudly opens its Older Adult Centers (OACs) to unhoused seniors,” said Mark Jennings, Executive Director of Project FIND. “We primarily pay for these services out of our own coffers because we know, as this report vividly reminds, there is an urgent need to provide barrier-free services to help undomiciled older adults gain the title of being formerly homeless."

"LiveOn's report helps highlight the severity of New York City's senior affordable housing crisis, which we know will only escalate as the city's older adult population continues to grow in the coming years," said Kathryn Haslanger, CEO of JASA. "To age with dignity, New York's older adults need units and communities designed with their physical, social, and mental health needs in mind. Our city must quickly come together to preserve and create the tens of thousands of units we need to address this crisis."

"I urge immediate investment in affordable senior housing. Every day we see older adults struggling to afford to stay in their longtime homes across the City. For older adults, the stress of unstable housing worsens existing mental and physical conditions and can lead to homelessness. We need to preserve existing affordable housing and commit to building new affordable housing. Our older neighbors deserve to live with dignity in their own homes.” said Stuart C. Kaplan, CEO, Selfhelp Community Services.

“We’re proud to work alongside LiveOn NY to tackle the intertwined crises that older adults are facing here in New York City. The housing crisis is a major concern. As rents continue to rise, older adults with fixed incomes are not able to keep up. The real solution is to invest in and maintain affordable housing with social services for our older adults. We can’t settle for anything less,” said Paul Freitag, Executive Director, West Side Federation for Senior and Supportive Housing (WSFSSH).

“Older adults deserve to age with dignity and respect in the communities they helped build. It is imperative that swift action be taken to enact reforms that reduce red tape for developers and accelerate the time it takes to go from predevelopment to construction on affordable housing projects. Older adults should be treated as a priority, from developing new housing to restoring funding for supportive services for this vulnerable community,” said Stacy Bliagos, Executive Director of HANAC, Inc.

"For 50 years, RiseBoro has served seniors in North Brooklyn which is why it pains me to see that this critical population is not getting the support they deserve," said Kieran Harrington, CEO of RiseBoro Community Partnership. "We join our friends at LiveOn NY in calling for immediate investment in affordable and permanent housing for older adults."

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