LiveOn NY Delivers Petition Signatures of 8000+ New Yorkers Calling for Investments in Aging Services

8,000 CONCERNED NEW YORKERS CALL ON ERIC ADAMS TO INVEST $622 MILLION FOR AGING SERVICES IN CITY BUDGET


NEW YORK, NY — Today, LiveOn NY was joined by advocacy groups and seniors across New York to hand-deliver a petition to Mayor Eric Adams calling on the Mayor to invest $622 million for aging services in the city budget. The petition, which earned almost 8,000 signatures in less than a week, calls for renewed investments in the city’s network of Older Adult Centers, as well as an expanded social safety net for seniors and dedicated funds to ensure seniors have access to food.  

SEE ALL PHOTOS AND VIDEOS HERE

“In the face of devastating federal cuts to Medicaid and social programs, Mayor Eric Adams must use this year’s budget to deliver critical funding for our city’s aging services,” said Kevin Kiprovski, LiveOn NY Director of Public Policy. “Seniors are facing impossibly high costs, from medicine to groceries — and it’s only getting worse. As the federal government moves to take millions of dollars in healthcare funding away, potentially devastating the over 57 percent of New Yorkers who rely on Medicaid, Mayor Adams must stand up for New York’s older adults. Over 7,000 of us have called on Mayor Adams to invest $622 million in making the lives of our seniors easier; now, it’s on him to listen.”

“New York City’s older adult services are essential for the health, independence, and well-being of hundreds of thousands of older adults,” said Beth Finkel, State Director of AARP New York. “More than 5,000 petitions make one thing clear: New Yorkers are demanding action. From expanded home-delivered meals to adequate case management and safe, modern Older Adult Centers, this $622 million investment is about ensuring our city meets the needs of a rapidly growing aging population. The Mayor must act now to build a city where every New Yorker can age with dignity.”

“Every New Yorker deserves to age with stability and dignity in their community. Investments in aging services are essential. It’s critical for Mayor Adams to invest in and expand older adult centers and case management services and address food insecurity,” said Susan Stamler, Executive Director of United Neighborhood Houses. “UNH is proud to stand with older adults, including those from the settlement house network in the AgeStrong NYC campaign as we fight for these vital investments.”

Aging Experts host virtual press conference on the impacts of the skinny budget

WASHINGTON, DC—On Tuesday, LiveOn NY, an advocacy organization for New York’s 4 million older adults, hosted a virtual press briefing to discuss the impacts of the federal “skinny” budget on older adult care and services. LiveOn NY Executive Director, Allison Nickerson, was joined by Eldra Drew, Participant of Lafayette Estates NORC Program at Neighborhood SHOPP in the Bronx and Jeremy Kaplan, the Executive Director, Encore Community Services.

“The federal skinny budget threatens all ways of life for Americans — but there is no question that it will disproportionately impact older adults, ripping away the services that their lives depend on. This isn’t just bad policy—it’s un-American. We are witnessing the dismantling of the very systems that working New Yorkers have paid into and relied on for decades. Older adults across New York State deserve more than abandonment,” said Allison Nickerson, LiveOn NY Executive Director. “LiveOn NY calls on all New York City, State, and Congressional leaders to fight back and defend the programs that are lifelines for older adults and families nationwide. Silence is not an option when lives, livelihoods, and dignity are at stake.”

“I’ve been with this center since I retired in 2010. The devastating budget cuts threaten the future of our neighborhood and the Lafayette Estates NORC Program, which provides critical services for us older adults and essential activities that support seniors' mental, emotional, and physical well-being. The vital staff support case management, advocacy, and care — this is the community environment that helps prevent isolation and promotes dignity, engagement, and independence for us older Americans,” said Eldra Drew, Participant of Lafayette Estates NORC Program at Neighborhood SHOPP in the Bronx.

“At one of our older adult centers, we have a case worker who works with an older man. He lives alone — he’s 80 years old, has macular degeneration, and is legally blind. He tells us this particular caseworker is his only social connection and is his only advocate,” said Jeremy Kaplan, Executive Director, Encore Community Services. “We have an active membership of 1000 older adults and two caseworkers for that membership, and those caseworkers are not funded by the city to make a living wage themselves. These issues — this problem that I’m laying out exist before the conversation about any federal cuts. These centers are already underfunded; we are only funded currently to give one meal a day, five days a week. Who knows what the ripple effect will be with how these cuts will impact people on the ground.”

FACT SHEET

Aging is already unaffordable. With skyrocketing housing costs and out-of-pocket healthcare expenses, long-term care gaps, and inadequate food assistance, older New Yorkers are already stretched to the breaking point. Federal cuts will only make this worse. If enacted, the federal budget would:

  1. Cut Seniors’ Health Care Through Medicaid, through deep cuts to home and community-based care.

  2. Cut Food Assistance Through SNAP, relied upon by thousands of older New Yorkers to make ends meet and afford food.

  3. Reduce Access to Their Social Security Benefits through deep cuts in staffing, leaving older New Yorkers to wait for hours on call lines just to be disconnected.

  4. Slashing the HUD budget and dismantling Section 202 affordable housing for seniors, handing it to state block grants with no guarantees or accountability.

  5. Eliminate LIHEAP, leaving thousands of older New Yorkers without heating and cooling assistance during extreme weather.

  6. Zero out the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, cutting off critical support for senior centers, NORCs, and housing.

  7. Eliminate Title V Senior Employment, cutting off a vital re-entry path to the workforce for low-income older New Yorkers.

  8. Abolish AmeriCorps Seniors, ending programs that reduce isolation and support community engagement.

  9. Jeopardize Alzheimer’s Research, which will have unprecedented consequences for the millions of families who will face this devastating disease in the future.

LiveOn NY Responds to the State Budget: "This is a start for much needed investment in NY's older adults."

ALBANY, NY — In response to the final New York state budget, Allison Nickerson, Executive Director of LiveOn NY, released the following statement:  

“Today, Governor Hochul released the final state budget that lays out historic investments for aging services. First and foremost, we thank the Governor for making older New Yorkers a priority in this year’s budget with a historic investment of $53 million for NYSOFA to address service waiting lists across the state.

“However, even as we recognize these investments, we know capacity for aging services must be scaled up beyond funds for waiting lists to meet current and growing demand. And importantly, we cannot ignore the severe federal threats looming over critical aging services. The proposed dissolution of the Administration for Community Living (ACL) has the potential to lead to cuts in home-delivered meals, caregiver support, and other essential programs that directly impact older adults across New York State. If these federal changes move forward, New York will face an unprecedented challenge in meeting the needs of its rapidly growing older population.

“As the cost of living continues to rise, older New Yorkers and caregivers cannot afford basic necessities, including rent, food, and medication. The Governor’s affordability agenda must include older New Yorkers with investments in older adults at every level. LiveOn NY will continue to work with the Governor and our elected champions to build a future where every New Yorker can age in dignity. We urge Governor Hochul and the Legislature to be prepared to bolster the State’s investment in aging services and ensure that federal shortfalls do not lead to devastating consequences for older New Yorkers.”

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LiveOn NY, Queens Borough President, & Advocacy Groups Call for Bold Investments in NYC's Older Adults

NEW YORK, NY — On Wednesday March 19th, LiveOn NY, an advocacy organization for New York’s 4 million older adults, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr., hosted a “Queens Advocacy Day” press conference calling for investment into resources and infrastructure for older adults. The press conference is part of the Age Strong NYC campaign urging Mayor Adams to invest $2.3 billion in nutrition, housing, and community services to support older New Yorkers.

LiveOn NY and the Queens Borough President were joined by 18+ older adult centers and over 150 older adults themselves.

The Age Strong NYC campaign, led by LiveOn NY, includes 60+ community and advocacy organizations and comes on the heels of NYCAging facing a 102 million dollar budget cut that threatens to close up to 90 older adult centers throughout the city. These failures have catastrophic consequences for the 1 in 5 people in New York who are over the age of 65 and their families.  

SEE ALL PHOTO AND VIDEO HERE

“We are here calling for a New York where we can all age in our homes and be part of the communities that we helped to build. As it stands, aging services only get half a percent of the City’s budget for 20% of the population — this cannot stand. We are asking for 2.3 billion dollars to build more affordable housing, to keep people in their homes, to ensure people have the food they need to live without going hungry, and for essential community services like older adult centers,” said Kevin Kiprovski, Director of Public Policy for LiveOn NY.

“We are going to fight every step of the way for you for this budget…This funding helps our seniors continue to live in dignity in the neighborhoods where they’ve long known. We have no intention of resting on our laurels when it comes to supporting each and every one of you — and neither does LiveOn NY. You all deserve to reap everything you’ve sewn in this borough,” said Donovan Richards Jr, Queens Borough President.

“I am from Sunnyside Services, and I am also a senior. I have a vested interest in making sure that we all get the money that we need and deserve. This is not a handout. This is money that should go to all of our programs, said Elizabeth Daniele, Sunnyside Community Services.

“The first thing Kew Gardens did was help me with a situation with my disability—I would not have made it through without the center. We have to make sure that our Council Members and elected officials get fresh hands in the community…we need this money. This is our taxpayer money,” said Jean Silva, Kew Gardens Older Adult Center, Queens Community House.

LiveOn NY releases statement on federal budget

Statement on the Federal “Skinny Budget”: A Blueprint for Abandoning Older Americans 

Last week, the federal administration released its “skinny budget”—a plan that slashes non-defense discretionary spending by 23% and guts the very programs that older New Yorkers rely on to age safely and with dignity.

This comes on top of leaked documents revealing plans to eliminate Falls Prevention, Adult Protective Services, Health Promotion, Elder Abuse Support, and Respite for Caregivers - critical lifelines for individuals and families nationwide. These programs don’t just save lives,  they save money by reducing hospitalizations, homelessness, and long-term care costs.

This is happening at a time when aging in the United States and New York, in particular, has never been more unaffordable. From skyrocketing housing costs and out-of-pocket healthcare expenses to long-term care gaps and inadequate food assistance, older New Yorkers are already stretched to the breaking point. And without federal partnership, the state and local governments will be left scrambling to patch massive holes in our aging infrastructure.

If enacted, this budget would:

  • Cut Seniors’ Health Care Through Medicaid, through deep cuts to home and community based care.

  • Cut Food Assistance Through SNAP, relied upon by thousands of older New Yorkers to make ends meet and afford food.

  • Reduce Access to Their Social Security Benefits through deep cuts in staffing, leaving older New Yorkers to wait for hours on call lines just to be disconnected.

  • Slashing the HUD budget and dismantling Section 202 affordable housing for seniors, handing it to state block grants with no guarantees or accountability. 

  • Eliminate LIHEAP, leaving thousands of older New Yorkers without heating and cooling assistance during extreme weather.

  • Zero out the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, cutting off critical support for senior centers, NORCs, and housing.

  • Eliminate Title V Senior Employment, cutting off a vital re-entry path to the workforce for low-income older New Yorkers.

  • Abolish AmeriCorps Seniors, ending programs that reduce isolation and support community engagement.

  • Jeopardize Alzheimer’s Research, which will have unprecedented consequences for the millions of families who face and will face this devastating disease.

This isn’t just bad policy—it’s un-American. We are witnessing the dismantling of the very systems that working New Yorkers have paid into and relied on for decades. Older adults across New York State deserve more than abandonment. They deserve respect, investment, and bold leadership that honors their lives—not a budget balanced on their backs.

New York City and State as well as our Congressional representatives must make clear how they will fight back—how they will protect the programs older New Yorkers depend on and stand up to these dangerous federal cuts. Silence is not an option when lives, livelihoods, and dignity are on the line.

We will not stand down. We will speak out, organize, and fight for every older adult and caregiver in this state who is being left behind by this reckless vision for our country’s future.