| “Save Our Centers” Campaign Fights State Cuts to Senior Services |
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| Tuesday, 09 March 2010 19:29 |
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Advocates, providers and elected officials turned out at City Hall yesterday to protest a state budget proposal which would cut $25.2 million in funding for New York City senior centers. The seemingly arcane proposal in Governor Paterson’s Executive Budget to redirect federal Title XX funds away from the City’s Department for the Aging (DFTA) would effectively cut over one quarter of DFTA’s entire budget for senior centers. The cut is expected to result in the closing of between 80 and 110 senior centers – and services for 5,500 seniors -- across the five boroughs.
In response, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Aging Committee Chair Jessica Lappin, and State and Federal Legislation Committee Chair Helen Diane Foster joined yesterday with senior citizens and advocates to launch the “Save Our Centers” campaign.
“These cuts would literally starve thousands of poor seniors,” Council Member Lappin said. “In addition to providing hot meals, these centers provide care, companionship, and case management to some of our neediest New Yorkers. Our state legislators simply cannot approve this cut.”
“The City Council has a proven record of success when it comes to defending our city’s senior centers,” said Speaker Christine C. Quinn. “Older New Yorkers depend on senior centers as a lifeline, especially during this recession. We’re urging everyone to call their state legislators and the Governor’s office to let them know these cuts are unacceptable. We won’t allow Albany to turn its back on our seniors.”
“The tsunami of city and state cuts raining down on senior centers and other services funded through the Department for the Aging will close up to 110 senior centers and cripple the funding of the remaining senior centers,” said Bobbie Sackman, Director of Public Policy for the Council of Senior Centers and Services.
“Overwhelmingly, our members tell us that they want to remain living in their home and communities as they age,” said Lois Aronstein, AARP New York State Director. “Senior centers often serve as a virtual lifeline between seniors their communities offering meals, contact, and access to services that allow them to continue living at home and out of expensive institutional care.”
“UNH, along with our fellow advocates and colleagues in government and the provider community, is adamantly opposed to the State’s proposal to redirect $25 million in Title XX funds away from New York City’s senior services,” said Nancy Wackstein, Executive Director of United Neighborhood Houses.
“The changes to the Title XX funding, if enacted, will gravely compromise the current senior center infrastructure and thwart innovative senior programming in New York City,” said Susan Stamler, Director of Policy and Advocacy for UNH.
“If the Title XX funding for senior centers is eliminated, then Selfhelp's six senior centers, which serve many thousands of seniors in Queens, will face a funding loss of $90,000 per center – further compounding recent budget cuts,” said Leo Aspen, Vice President, Senior Communities, Selfhelp Community Services, Inc.
“FPWA urges the Governor and New York State Legislature to preserve the flexibility of Title XX funding so that needed resources can continue to flow to neighborhood-based senior centers,” said Kathy Fitzgibbons, Senior Policy Analyst from the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies (FPWA).
“We urge the State to find other cost savings to balance its budget,” said Cara Berkowitz, the Director of City and Public Affairs for the UJA Federation of New York. Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites           |
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