New Yorkers are all struggling with soaring costs for rent, groceries, and everyday necessities. It’s harder than ever to make ends meet. But for older adults, many of whom live on fixed incomes, this problem hits much harder.
One in five New Yorkers is over 65. Right now, thousands of our older New Yorkers are forced to make the daily decision between paying for food, healthcare, and rent. Living off of savings, pensions, and fixed incomes that can’t account for increased costs, they face hard choices, especially as supportive funding has been drying up over the past twenty years.
And as funding for services shrinks, the demand only grows more and more desperate: The over-65 segment of the New York City population is projected to grow by 25% by 2040, and without urgent action, more and more older New Yorkers will be pushed out of our city or onto the streets. We are already seeing record numbers of street-homeless older adults and many more on the brink of eviction. For others, they face spiraling healthcare costs, hungry nights without fresh food, or life-threatening social isolation.
While countless older adults across New York are providing invaluable services to their community through volunteerism, caregiving and civic participation, hundreds of thousands of older New Yorkers are struggling to make ends meet. Older adults deserve better, and if we change course, a future is possible where all New Yorkers can thrive as they age.
First, the City must reverse the $103 million budget cut from NYC Aging, which threatens to close up to 60 older adult centers throughout the city. These failures have catastrophic consequences for the 1 in 5 people in New York over the age of 65, and their families who rely on these centers for community and socialization that improves their health and quality of life. Every dollar we invest in our older adults is an investment in New York City’s future. We must move forward, not backward.
Next, we must pass the Age in Place legislative package in full. Age in Place lays the groundwork for initiatives that support older New Yorkers financially, physically, and socially. This means we are investing in updating and resourcing important spaces like senior and community centers, guaranteeing home-delivered or congregate meals every day of the week, and other services for older adults.
And finally, the city must ramp up funding for critical social services for older New Yorkers. While the Age in Place legislative package lays the groundwork for many of these initiatives, we need robust funding to ensure every older adult gets access to the services they need. We are calling on the City and Mayor to invest $2.3 billion to meet the funding needs for nutrition, housing, and community services for older adults in NYC.
Older New Yorkers are vital to the fabric of our society, and everyone — not just the privileged few — deserves to age in the communities they have built. We have an opportunity to create a future where older adults continue to engage and support their communities with the services they may need to thrive. The City and Mayor must reverse the deplorable cuts to NYC Aging, pass the Age in Place legislative package, and invest $2.3 billion to address the immediate needs of older New Yorkers, with a focus on housing, food, and community support. It’s time we center the needs of older adults in New York City.
Allison Nickerson is the Executive Director of LiveOn NY and has dedicated her career to enhancing the quality of life of aging populations. Crystal Hudson is the Council Member for New York City’s District 35 in Brooklyn, representing the neighborhoods of Crown Heights, Prospect Heights, Clinton Hill, and Fort Greene.
