Good morning everyone and welcome to today's New York City Council hearing for the Committee on Aging.

If you would like to testify, you must fill out a witness slip with one of the sergeant at arms in the back of the room, even if you signed up already online.

At this time, please silence all electronic devices.

Please silence all electronic devices and no one may approach at any time during this hearing.

Chair, we are ready to begin.

Thank you.

Good morning, everyone.

I'm council member Susan Zhuang, Chair of the Committee on Aging.

Thank you all for attending this oversight hearing on interagency coordination for older adults.

As we always have the tradition, we show some pictures from our older adults center.

And I will next just win our championship.

Hope we're gonna win the championship for our seniors today.

New York City's older adults rely on board network of programs and services to remain healthy, safe, and connected in their communities.

New York City agent plays a critical role in delivering many of those essential services.

At the same time, older adults often interact with multi-multiple city agencies responsible for housing, health care, transportation, access to food, emergency response, and other services.

Effectively, so older adults can access the service they need without unnecessary barrier or confusion.

Today's hearing is an opportunity to examine how city agencies are coordinating to meet needs of New York City's aging population.

We will hear testimony from New York City aging regarding its effort to strengthen interagency coordination and improved service delivery for older New Yorkers.

We are interested in learning more about cabinet for older adults, which aims to bring agencies together to address the needs of older adults collaboratively cross-city government.

We will also be hearing two pieces of legislation.

The first intro 230, sponsored by councilmember Hudson could require NYC aging in cooperating with mayor's office for people with disability to administer financial assistance program for older adults and the individuals with disabilities.

The second is Resolution 373 by Councilmember Wang.

This resolution calls on New York City state legislative to pass and the governor to signate bill 1179 and assembly bill 1499, which could provide the long-term care benefit for eligible residents.

It's important that New York City provides the support they need to.

It's important that older New Yorkers are provided the support they need to survive.

And it's not, and let's not forget that support requires robust interagency coordination.

I want to thank both sponsors for their hard work on these issues.

Thank you, my colleagues who joined me today.

Thank you to NYC Aging for testifying and uh thank you to committee staff, legislative council, Hannah Kong and the policy analyst Joshua Newman for their hard working in preparing this meeting.

I would like to thank my staff for their work as we continue to serve our commun constituents and the city as a whole.

I would like to recognize we have joined by Councilmember Hudson Audible.

Uh I will now pass up.

Oh, Millie, and uh Councilmember Brewer.

Okay.

Now I will pass the microphone to Councilmember Hudson to give a statement on her legislation.

Thank you so much, Chair, and good morning.

There are currently 1.55 million older adults age 62 or older living in the five boroughs, according to the Center for Research on Housing Opportunity Mobility and Equity.

New York City's population of older adults, which currently represents 20% of our city's entire population will only grow as the baby boomer generation ages.

In New York City, the number of older adults is expected to jump 40% by 2040, especially as New Yorkers are living longer.

Older New Yorkers are more likely to age in place than younger New Yorkers.

In 2023, the average older adult lived in their home for 22 years compared to five years for the average New Yorker, but many also live on fixed incomes.

The median household income in 2023 was 80,000, but only 22,900 for older adults who lived alone, and one third of older adults report at least one functional disability.

This bill will provide financial assistance for low-income households to install in-home preventative adaptations that allow older adults and people with disabilities to remain in their current homes.

With the financial assistance provided by this bill, households can afford to install accessibility modifications that reduce the risk of falls, assist with mobility issues, and enhance independent living.

This bill ensures that older adults and people with disabilities are able to comfortably remain in their homes with the necessary modifications.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Okay.

Okay.

Thank you.

Now we will be hearing testimony from representatives from administration.

I will now turn it over to committee counsel to administer the oath for this panel of administration officials.

Do you affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth before this committee and to respond honestly to council member questions?

Commissioner, assistant commissioner.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Please speaking.

Thank you.

Good morning, Chair Zhuan and members of the New York City Council on Aging.

I am Dr.

Lisa Scott McKenzie, Commissioner of the New York City Department for the Aging, and I'm joined by Janine Ventura, Assistant Commissioner for Interagency Collaboration.

It is a great pleasure to join you here today to discuss New York City aging's interagency coordination for older adults and how we are utilizing the New York City Cabinet for Older New Yorkers to ensure that New York City's fastest growing demographic adults age 60 and older is served through budget neutral initiatives across agencies.

The Cabinet is a unique interagency model that New York City and this administration is using to advance an age-inclusive city by bringing together city agencies to cultivate lasting sustainable change.

Through the Cabinet for Older New Yorkers, member agencies led by agency heads and supported by liaisons collaborate by identifying gaps or barriers in existing services by utilizing a structure of working groups which develop initiatives to address the everyday challenges experienced by older New Yorkers.

As you know, New York City Aging administers a wide range of programs that enhance the independence and quality of life of the city's older adult population.

A key component to New York City Aging's mission is to ensure that all older New Yorkers have access to both city services and programs at our agency and with our partners in city government, and to work toward reducing barriers that hinder an older adult's ability to age in place with dignity while improving their quality of life.

I am excited to discuss with you the origin of the cabinet, how it functions, and the recent impacts we have seen through cabinet initiatives.

The Cabinet for Older New Yorkers reinforces that city agencies invest in the lives of older adults, combat ageism, and break down communication silos that prevent New York City from becoming truly age-inclusive.

We largely do this work through budget neutral approaches made possible through innovative agency collaborations.

In my time as commissioner, I have been devoted to understanding the meat and potatoes issues which older New Yorkers experience, and how New York City aging, as well as partner agencies, address those concerns.

The reality is that too many older New Yorkers have a housing concern, are experiencing food insecurity, need help during a weather emergency, or are adjusting to returning to the workforce.

The Cabinet for Older New Yorkers raises these and other issues as citywide concerns, not necessarily as older adult or New York City aging concerns.

When the concept of age-friendly environments was first developed nearly 15 years ago, differing levels of governing levels of government and community organizations first explored the issue that agents should not be siloed into disparate organizations or structures.

Council and other elected partners have always been part of the discussion through the age-friendly coalition, which operates alongside the Cabinet for Older New Yorkers.

Because we saw the need for component parts of government to collaborate and innovate to address issues affecting older adults, we tried to address problems individually between agencies and its needs were identified.

While this was a necessary first step, the gaps which remained in that need to further collaborate on issues grew organically into the formation of the Cabinet for Older New Yorkers.

We are building off the same successes that collaborative task forces have seen on domestic violence or children's welfare issues in addressing in addressing the needs of older adults.

This age-inclusive approach ensures that we are supporting two pillars of our community that form the bridge of effective social services, youth and older adults.

In previous administrations, the city promoted a continued commitment to interagency collaborations, promoting government efficiency and ensuring age inclusive practices are implemented in agencies.

The first of its kind, multi-agency collaborative, was created to support the services, projects, and policies that benefit older adults across New York City.

The Cabinet for Older New Yorkers first met on September 21st, 2022 and included at that time 17 agencies across New York City focused on coordinating and leveraging shared resources to develop long-term solutions-based initiatives and projects to benefit older adults.

Ultimately, the Cabinet for Older New Yorkers is a function of the administration and is not a white paper endeavor meant to study demographic or social societal impacts on an older adult's life and then simply release a report.

We are instead using collective knowledge across member agencies as directed by the mayor to address real problems that we know about and make a tangible impact on an older adult's life.

As codified by law, introduced by the council in Local Law 64 of 2024, member agencies are diverse and wide-ranging.

They span the entire administration and range of government areas and services provided to New York City.

These agencies have an overlapping focus relevant to older adults.

At present, the cabinet comprises 30 member agencies as outlined in the local law, including the Department of Transportation, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Health Plus Hospitals, the Police Department, Department of Parks and Recreation, and Housing and Preservation and Development, just to name a few.

There are four cabinet subcommittees health, housing, intergenerational, outreach and engagement, cabinet member agency staff serve as liaisons as designated by their commissioner or agency head to meet independently and cultivate collaborations in service to older New Yorkers.

They meet quarterly as a group, in person or hybrid.

In addition, on a quarterly basis, cabinet member agencies present initiatives and outcomes to a larger group, which includes agency heads and commissioners as well as deputy mayors.

The subcommittees develop initiatives that set the groundwork for systemic change and long-term impact while responding to current gaps and needs.

Since our last hearing on interagency collaboration and the legislation on the cabinet for older New Yorkers, initiatives have yielded tangible impacts for older adults by making meaningful changes through agency collaboration.

For instance, New York City Public Schools held the second annual anti-ageism education initiative culmination and recognition event at the Paley Center for Media in May.

Participating teachers and administrators were recognized, and schools received awards for being anti-ageism champions and anti-agism innovators.

In addition, the New York City Public School System Service and School Kids Action Team held its annual celebration of service, which highlighted incorporating anti-agism education with community service for K through 3 students for a third consecutive year.

Through the Anti-Ageism Education Initiative implemented by New York City Public Schools under the Cabinet, which is informed by subject matter expertise at New York City Aging, teachers and administrators are equipped with the tools to discuss age discrimination with students.

Students also learn to recognize ageism and build stronger connections with older adults.

Similarly, the Department of Youth and Community Development held a third annual culmination event for My New York Story earlier this month, which is an intergenerational storytelling initiative that promotes community building while combating ageism.

Youth and older adults at participating NYCHA communities with an older adult center and a cornerstone site in the Bronx and Brooklyn, worked with Vibrant Seeds, an organization that focuses on food justice and urban agriculture.

Additionally, the Cabinet for Older New Yorkers released an age-inclusive New York City Arts and Cultures Best Practices for Creative Aging Guidebook developed collaboratively by the Department of Cultural Affairs and New York City Aging.

The guidebook highlights 13 cultural organizations representing every borough and creative art form that advanced age-inclusive older adult programming.

Further, through the Cabinet for Older New Yorkers, more than 750 older workers returning to the labor force have been trained by the New York City Commission on Human Rights on Employment Based Age Discrimination and New York City Human Rights Law.

In addition, more than 1,800 New York City Health Plus Hospitals frontline professionals were trained on community-based aging services to support older adult patients and caregivers.

Finally, our work with the Department of Transportation promotes age-inclusive pedestrian planning through walkability audits with older adult center members citywide conducted in 30 neighborhoods with more than 900 participants.

This is a reflection of the work that can only happen because the Cabinet for Older New Yorkers functions solely within the administration, leveraging mayoral interagency collaborations and existing resources for budget-neutral, sustainable solutions.

Utilizing the authority given to the Commissioner for the Department for the Aging legislated by the Council and Local Law 64 and supported by the mayor, the cabinet is able to address problems internally for the city and improve the lives of older adults.

The cabinet is not a think tank or study-producing entity, nor is it a body devoted to constituent service needs.

It is focused on tangible outcomes and cross-coordination between mayoral agencies.

In 2023, directly because of the work happening with the Cabinet for Older New Yorkers, New York City Aging submitted a resolution to the U.S.

Conference of Mayors calling on cities to promote and adopt age-inclusive approaches to local policy, practices, and programs, and a commitment to achieving an elevated standard of being an age-inclusive city.

It is not enough that cities be age-friendly, and while we are so proud that New York City was named as one of the first age-friendly cities in the U.S., we are pushing further to ensure age-inclusiveness across a broad spectrum of needs for older adults.

Following the adoption of the resolution by the U.S.

Conference of Mayors, New York City Aging hosted the Boom Conference on Aging in December 2024.

For the first time, New York City Aging hosted a national conference convening experts, including international panelists, to ensure older adults can age with dignity and respect, and make communities better across the country age-inclusive.

During this conference, we presented one of the first publications reflecting the work of the cabinet, the age inclusive American Cities Guidebook.

This guidebook developed and compiled by New York City Aging provides proven age-inclusive strategies, best practices, and actionable steps from 19 U.S.

cities that form the National Age Inclusive Working Group.

Some of the member cities include Albuquerque, Chicago, Des Moines, Houston, Kansas City, Miami, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle, among others, all of which an older adult population of approximately 20% or more exist.

As part of the local law 64, we have also submitted to the council a full report of every meeting of the quarterly cabinet for older New Yorkers as well as a list of attendees at those meetings.

This detailed report explains the initiatives which were discussed and gives a preview of what the cabinet is working toward in the future.

We look forward to sharing with the council a forthcoming updated report later this summer.

Additionally, members of the council, including you, Chair Zwang, Speaker Menon, and all five borough presidents serve as ex officio members of the age-friendly New York City Commission, co-chaired by New York City Aging and the New York Academy of Medicine.

This commission is the main route to access opportunities to be involved in a public-private partnership addressing interagency needs with the administration.

In addition to the New York Academy of Medicine, the Commission includes nonprofits, philanthropies, and public health organizations and academia.

In the past, the Commission has reviewed issues affecting older adults, produce reports, and functions as an opportunity to identify issues in the community which older adults are experiencing and then find solutions to those issues.

While the Cabinet for Older New Yorkers is comprised exclusively of city agencies and advanced the work of city agencies within the aging framework, the age-friendly New York City Commission concurrently serves as the primary body for you, your fellow elected officials, and other important non-city agency stakeholders to continue to directly support and influence our shared goals.

The next meeting of the age-friendly New York City Commission will be meeting in quarter three of 2026, and we will happily include you in that meeting.

Beyond the Cabinet for Older New Yorkers, New York City Aging continues to find opportunities to work with our partner agencies on a range of issues and initiatives.

In the past two years, New York City Aging has partnered with the Civic Engagement Commission, which is a cabinet member agency to prioritize including older adult centers and naturally occurring retirement community locations as part of the People's Money Initiative, where citywide dollars are spent through our participatory budgeting process.

CEC works with New York City Aging to identify priority locations, hold listening sessions and work groups, and then return to those locations and many others to host to host voting sessions where older adults then decide which projects are funded in their communities.

This effort continues outside of the cabinet for older New Yorkers, but is no less an important interagency collaboration.

I also recognize that as part of today's hearing, the Committee on Aging is hearing Introduction 230 by Councilmember Crystal Hudson.

This bill would create a financial assistance program for in-home preventative adaptations for older adults and disabled New Yorkers.

While the focus of the agency is New Yorkers over 60, we agree that in-home modifications are important to ensuring older adults can age in place and remain in their homes and communities they have built.

We believe this so strongly that in 2025, New York City Aging received a three-year U.S.

housing and urban development grant to administer an older adult home modifications program through 2028.

The program is meant to help older New Yorkers within their homes by reducing the risk of falling, increasing accessibility, and supporting underserved communities.

The program is unique in that an occupational therapist will visit an older adult in their home and evaluate their environment to improve their quality of life through necessary safety education and recommendations for modification.

We have been promoting this program widely and seeing increased interest in the short time it has been functioning.

We look forward to working with council on this piece of legislation as we further discuss its potential implementation.

Overall, let me close by reiterating how thrilled I am to be here today with you to talk about the great work of the Cabinet for Older New Yorkers.

These are proactive upstream solutions for downstream issues.

While we continue to do extensive work to ensure older adults can access our programs as well as well as other city services, we also recognize that there is always more work to be done.

The Cabinet for Older New Yorkers allows us to break down silos and barriers in service to older adults today and in the future.

Thank you, Chair Zwang and the members of the Committee on Aging for your ongoing deep and mutual commitment to older New Yorkers.

I look forward to answering any questions.

Thank you, Commissioner.

And we just joined by Councilmember in the Woods.

Do you have any other questions?

Okay, yes.

Okay.

So this month is Pride Month.

So I would like to start asking questions about the seniors LGBTQIA plus community.

So New York City agent was required by local law um 170 of 2023 to establish a commission for LGBDQIA plus older adults.

Can the agency please provide an update on the implementation of this local law?

My apologies.

As you know, we're always eager to work with the council when legislation creates programs or commissions which study or provide a vital service to our older New Yorkers.

In this case, as we stated when this bill was originally heard, we are allowed aligned with the council that LGBTQIA plus older New Yorkers need additional advocacy in order to lead vibrant and full lives.

We are happy to say that five of those members have been vetted and approved and are currently seated on the commission.

The commission has been meeting and just completed their third meeting on May 12th.

And members will be will be reviewing a draft report soon.

We continue to ask for your support with identifying potential candidates for this body.

Should you or any members here today have suggestions for commission members, please send them our way.

While we have not yet heard your thoughts about specific members, we are always open to your thoughts and suggestions.

So so far they have no report there, right?

They are reviewing the draft and the report will be ready soon.

The meeting was on May 12th.

Okay, can the agency describe what work of the commission will be?

Does the agency envision any project materialize from the commission's work?

Well, obviously, there's a lot of work to be done by this commission, so we are emphasizing that we are able to have uh the additional members seated so that we can have all of the perspectives that we need to have a really robust plan and program as we move forward.

So there's no detailed information as so far, right?

Well, the detail is that we need to have the additional members, so we absolutely welcome any suggestions for additional members.

If you have them today, we'll take them.

If not, you can pass them on uh after this meeting, and we're ready.

Okay, and then are there major policy issues agency plan to have because this law is being passed in 2023, right?

It's been two years, more than two years.

Um, we haven't heard anything basically for our LGBTQ IA community.

Um we would like to hear more about the issues and policies you guys try to address and uh um definitely more detailed information because LGBTQ, IA community, especially for older adults, they are struggling.

They even have to travel one half hour to go to uh adult center, I mean senior center.

So it it is very hard for this group of people.

I think New York City agent should be doing better um with our older adults, especially for this community.

And this month is Pride Month.

We should honor their agenda also.

So we would like to see more information on this topic and serve this group of people and also make sure their needs be addressed too.

Absolutely, and we are aligned, and I should have prefaced my statement to saying happy pride, but definitely uh we do feel that there is more work to be done.

Um I know that there may have been a gap previously.

I can only speak for the last three months, but moving forward, we certainly will have a focus on uh the LGBTQ uh IA plus community, as we do recognize the challenges.

As you know, I am out at the communities and uh on the front lines along with many of our older adults and uh many are included in the community, and they have mentioned to me some of the concerns that they have, and definitely we take them to heart.

So you will see a lot more work going forward.

Uh, I welcome you again as partners at the table.

Uh, we do need more members, so join us and skip to work.

Yeah, and also there's uh a big ask from um our private community.

Um they do mention to me about senior mental health.

So will this committee have people address this issue?

Absolutely.

As you know, geriatric mental health and uh any mental health concerns that our older adults have always been a focal point for New York City aging.

So definitely it is an area that we need to explore.

Thank you.

And let's go back to the interagency coordination questions.

The first one, New York City agent agent provide many services, but older adults have needs that for outside New York City agents authority.

How does NYC agent coordinate across city government to address issues such as housing instability, food security, transportation, and also economic insecurity?

I I know you address some in your statements, but uh the issue here is older adults, it's a really vulnerable population.

When I know there's a lot of them come to my office, when they come, they don't know which agency they're supposed to go, and then they always think they belong to NYC agent.

That's it.

Even they have full stamp issue, they have housing issues.

They come to us and then they say, Oh, um NYC agent did not do this, but I know it's not your agency's only issue.

So is any way we can collaborate between um agency, give seniors one stop shop basically.

Absolutely, and and thank you for acknowledging that New York City seniors uh know that we accept and uh they belong to us.

So thank you for that.

Definitely we in addition to collaborating with state agencies and other agencies, we do have our aging connect system.

Um, one of the items that I've shared with uh many of the older adults as I'm out in the community is the fact that that is a hub for connection to most of the services that we have.

So we do at this point connect seniors to other agencies, other services as needed, and it's not just uh you call this phone number type thing, there is a warm handoff between agencies so that they really have that uh vital connection that they need to resolve their issues.

If we I'm a senior, I have an issue with food stamp.

If they come to NYC aging, call the number, and then someone say, Hey, this is not my issue, this is HRA issue.

They get very often they tell me they get kicked from different departments every time they say, Oh, it's not our issue.

They are kicking the ball between city agency.

This is a very common issue.

It's not only just uh um aging.

I know this issue is not aging, but do we have destined members really able to talk and tell them which department to go and have a human voice able to talk to them?

Absolutely.

Um, not sure where the person you're mentioning has called, but um I would say direct them to our agent connectors.

I mentioned it's a warm handoff, it's not calling into some electronic system where somebody funnels you off to another phone number.

This is an actual live person that hears the concern and can best connect them with where they need to go next.

And obviously, it's open uh, you know, uh Monday through Friday, uh nine to five.

So there's phone calls that can be made.

Um, there's uh the opportunity to leave a message if we need to get back to them, but it's really a coordinated effort uh where you do have concerned human beings on the other end of the line that can assist with concerns.

When the contracted provider flag concern for NYC agent that for outside of NYC agents, uh, uh jurisdiction, how does NYC agent elevate these concerns to relevant city agencies and make sure the concern are addressed?

Uh as I mentioned, we do connect the constituent with the next level of where they need to go.

But if the issue is one that's um uh trending, let's say something that we're noticing a pattern across the city, it is it is escalated to the commissioner level and issues like that can be addressed by the cabinet for older New Yorkers as well as the uh strong partnerships that the commissioners throughout the the administration have.

Is there any way you guys able to make sure uh the older adults do not fall through the cracks when they need the required assistance from multiple agencies?

Well, absolutely.

We do our best to keep to capture everyone.

Uh we serve as a safety net as you know, and uh if you have any specific examples of folks that you feel may have fallen through the cracks, please share them.

You know, we prefer to have all of the information in front of us.

We do our best to be transparent in the gaps that we have so that we can continue to work towards resolution.

So if you are aware of any specific examples, please share.

The best example will be the OACs in NYCHEP buildings.

Absolutely.

A lot of time it's not fixed, and also it if they're the leaking, they be sent to other centers.

Um, this is definitely I believe this is the interagency issue.

It's not just agents issue, it's NYCHA's issue, and also it's our senior related issue.

So this type of issue is very often, and uh I have been even here this type of question this morning uh when I walk in.

So it is definitely interagency issue.

If we can push together, we do the best for our seniors.

Absolutely, and as you noted, we have partnered.

You know, you and I have gone out to the centers together.

Yes, and so I always welcome the advocacy and the support as well of of the council.

But I will say on NYCHA, we have been meeting with them separately in relation to uh the issues that we find at the senior centers.

As you know, it's a third of our portfolio.

Uh, one of the concerns as you mentioned, um, if we do find that safety has been compromised, yes, we will move our seniors because our our first commitment is to keep them safe.

Um, once those issues have been resolved, we can always go back to the site but I think it would be uh horrendous uh for us to leave them in those conditions if we knew about it.

But I am encouraged by what I'm seeing.

As you know I mentioned during the last uh hearing that as we're out we identify environmental issues and other issues that need to be resolved and we consider those just do its for the low-hanging issues that can be resolved quickly and out of those issues that we've identified we are now at a 72% completion rate.

In fact I'm noticing that the photos that are up today were the same photos that were up last time and I'm encouraged by the fact that there are no new findings for you to have new photos which also further strengthen we don't have photo anymore which further strengthens the fact that we are being effective and we are getting the job done.

And the as you said you tried to fix the issue do we have in our interagency do we have a plan to prevent the issue?

That's another step because when the issue comes we have to move seniors to different centers I think that's a little too late.

Well you can't you can't say that you can totally prevent infrastructure issues it could happen here today in this very room that we're in those types of things are unpredictable but you can have a strong preventive maintenance program which I believe that NYCH is working towards and um in many instances they have come in even if we have no identified something right away they have come in swiftly and resolve the issue you can't totally prevent but um you can certainly make sure that you are maintaining safe functional attractive environments for our older New Yorkers.

Then definitely please advocate for our seniors to get more funding in the budget otherwise even we want to do it we don't have the money right and also we have um let other council members ask a question.

Council member Hudson thank you so much I'm actually gonna ask a question on behalf of council member eldeball and she um has a question about homelessness among older adults um which is a growing crisis growing at nearly three times the rate of younger demographics in New York City shelters because of increased physical and cognitive disabilities it's much harder for seniors to navigate the shelter system.

How are you coordinating with DHS to ensure that homeless older adults are provided shelter that provides the services that are specific to older adults.

Uh thank you for the question and we are partnering with DHS as well as other agencies to uh shine a light on the older adults that are in shelter obviously it's a major priority for us to make sure that they get into affordable housing um we have been uh privileged over the last week or so to see some dynamic partnerships between uh uh some of our program providers uh that have allowed for new housing for uh seniors specifically and we're pushing for more of that and this is one of the issues that we could highlight at our June 25th meeting for the cabinet for older New Yorkers because certainly this is a priority area as I've mentioned before we are looking at the meat and potato issues that affect older New Yorkers including uh food and security affordable housing access to quality health care and safety so definitely it is a priority for us.

Thank you.

Thank you Chair.

We have uh council member Brewer.

Thank you very much.

So I was around when aging started when the New York City with Bloomberg and Quinn.

So my question is two questions.

One is I think what uh that program focuses on are you know things that are tangible that people can see we spent hours trying to figure out what does um aging in place mean in a neighborhood?

What what does that mean?

It means benches, it means grocery stores that sell uh small packets, it means safety, all that kind of thing.

So is that still what the program at um you know that you talked about is work so what are you working on versus what they're working on?

Example what they need to do would be even at the recreation centers years ago, Bloomberg allowed hours for swimming for older adults, and then De Blasio messed it up and said no.

So, you know, we gotta that would be an example to bring it back.

That'll be somebody should do that.

And then also just benches, benches, benches, benches.

DOT has some.

I just got like 50, but we need more.

We need benches everywhere.

That would be tangible, you can see it, etc.

At the other time, so I want to know, are you working on that?

Is the other group working on that, that kind of thing?

And then for the group, who's working on hoarding, who's working on APS, who's working on home health care, who's working on NORCS.

How do you how does that all get divided up?

Well, it depends on uh where the issue falls, as we mentioned the four focal areas that we're uh looking at.

Obviously those day-to-day issues that affect older New Yorkers like having additional benches, like having safe walkways and things like that.

We are partnering with DOT and several other agencies.

Um the cabinet for older New Yorkers, though, is not focusing on uh issues like that.

Those types of issues are more appropriate for the age.

Yes, the age-friendly, which of which you all can be members.

You're welcome.

We have a extremely large tent, and we're inviting everyone into the tent so that we can solve issues like that.

Because we all experience aging and aging issues and concerns in a different way.

But what I'm most encouraged by is what I'm hearing from everyday New Yorkers uh at the centers, uh at meetings, uh in the neighborhoods, and what they are sharing about aging here in New York City and the reasons why many of them are preferring to stay here because of the uh programs that we have.

So the cabinet for older New Yorkers looking at long-term high-level sustainable issues that will stick around for generations, the changes that we make will be um lasting for several generations.

So are you building on what age friendly has done in the past?

Because they've done not only Ruth Finkelstein and others did not only the benches and the swimming, but some of the systemic ideas.

So I just don't want to go through the same process that we did that I did uh as one of the founders of age friendly.

No one wants to start from the beginning, obviously.

You know, uh if the wheel is already built, we're not gonna build another wheel.

But um some of those foundational issues have adjusted a lot in the last few years.

You know, some of that work that you mentioned was done well before COVID and COVID has changed the entire world.

So there are other considerations that we need to look at, and uh, which is why I invite you all to attend one of those meetings because uh there are folks like you that are foundational to these issues, but there are others that have joined uh maybe in recent years that have different perspectives.

So the age friendly one second, that are valuable to us being able to get to a resolution.

Okay, so the age friendly is open, but the uh other your group is not open, is that how it works?

I'm just trying to understand.

Well, uh, as codified in law, there are very specific requirements for who was going to be on that committee.

So we always comply with the law.

Okay, but it's not open meetings law as far as you know.

If it's not open in the law, it's not open.

Okay, thank you.

No, Councilmember, also Chair Mealy.

Thank you, Chair.

Um, I just got a few questions, and just to think about it, you said um, even when you give the agent money, things still do not go right.

And I'm asked two questions, then I'm getting a little deeper.

If and when the New York City agent received feedback about accessoride, how does it communicate that back to the MTA to improve this um the service?

Cause I have seniors that call it stress a ride, but it's getting better.

So, how are you coordinating with them now?

Well, thank you, Camille.

Um, we actually were talking about accessoride yesterday, because um it is one of those trending areas that I mentioned, um, and we are hearing some of the stressors from our older New Yorkers, and so we have been escalating some of these issues, but it's certainly an area where we will be seeking some uh stronger collaboration and support.

Um, and from the New York City aging standpoint, uh I'm sure you're aware by now that we have an RFP for transportation that we will be uh submitting later on in the year to address some of the again meat and potato issues of transportation to release some of relieve some of the stress from our older New Yorkers.

How did y'all coordinate with the MTA and DOT to address the transportation challenges uh that our older adults face?

For MTA, it would be uh through our state partners, and we do coordinate with them and escalate issues to them.

Um DOT, on the other hand, is a member agency, and um I'd like to ask um our assistant commissioner to talk about some of the issues with DOT, some of the improvements that we've made over time.

That'll be nice, and I do want to talk about the design also, sure for our seniors.

Great.

Uh Janine Ventura, assistant commissioner for interagency collaboration and NYC aging.

Uh so DOT has been a founding member of the cabinet, um, and as um Council Member's aware of, they've also been involved in early age-friendly initiatives since 2010.

Um, but similar to that, in the beginning, there have always been um obviously intersections that have been a point of concentration, especially in terms of reviewing data related to um pedestrian injuries or fatalities, and even in the um in light of Vision Zero initiative.

So, what DOT has done is that when they are focusing on areas that are in need of street improvement projects, whether that's a leading pedestrian interval, calming devices to make crossing intersections safer.

What they've done in addition to targeting these areas for street improvement projects is actually do community engagement, and then that's the part that came out through the cabinet that it's necessary in addition to reviewing the data to really talk to the older New Yorkers and other members of the community who walk these streets every day that have insight about these neighborhoods that um others might not have just from data analysis.

So, um, as mentioned in as the commissioner mentioned in her testimony.

Um in 30 communities so far, they engage older adult center members directly, um, do a whole walkability audit in which people are no 30 communities and um and all public spaces, all public communities that they walk, and then they basically audit this, you know, light is too fast, we could add more time to it.

You know, this could have um a barrier of some sort that makes it safer to cross, and DOT takes that feedback and they actually will do a follow-up audit after the street improvement project has happened to also re-engage and um and also decide like also get an assessment of the impact of the street improvement project with the older adults that they were originally engaged.

Max one last question.

Um, uh commissioner, um, do you know we got the extra funding and the seniors they want to stay active as much as possible, and I feel my mission is to give the community and our seniors more than what they ever expected.

And last couple of hearings, we had said that um the seniors asked me for equipment to exercise, and gave the money for it, and now the seniors are calling my office saying they take away the water, they've taken away the TV, and they got old equipment, and which I thought we was giving uh Mount Arat new equipment, and I sent to the finance uh uh a little movie of the equipment.

It's all is they didn't even wipe it off before they dropped it off at the senior center.

So it's kind of disheartened to me because we're trying to get our seniors active, keeping them engaged, and if they asking me for exercise equipment, we should be giving them good new exercise equipment.

So I hope that going forward, um, we really assess anything that anyone give our seniors.

Our seniors do not deserve leftovers, they deserve the best.

And I'm gonna keep talking about it, Chair, as much as possible because it's sad how we are treating the seniors at Mount Arrat.

Right now, they don't have water to drink because uh Fort Green Council took the water machine, they took their TV machine back, it's it's sad.

And um, if that were the case, um you I would go with you right after this meeting uh there.

But I I think that there's some confusion there.

Um a few things occurred, as you know.

Um, we've been in very close contact, we've met, um, I've had we both had all of our teams together on this, and uh the first thing that happened is obviously there was a separation between Fort Green Council and Mount Arrorat.

Um so as we have somebody else now, thank God.

But great, that's wonderful news.

So as Fort Green closed out, they were returning the items that belong to Mount Ararat.

So that may be the older items that you're talking about.

The newer items, as we mentioned um at after the last hearing, you and I had a conversation, and I mentioned that the new equipment has been ordered.

Um I'm hopeful that um either your team or my team can tell you what the delivery date is for the new equipment.

But it has been ordered.

The purchase order is available, and I'm sure that our finance director, um, our chief financial officer, who is now our first deputy, also can send you the information regarding the new order.

So there are two things being conflated here.

So what I I open an additional conversation and a pathway for us to solve this together.

And as I said, if um there's an issue like that, just make one phone call and and I will be there.

Thank you.

You have been really excellent.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Commissioner, and the thank you, Chair Mealy.

And then now we pass the microphone to Councilmember Dina Woods.

Thank you, Chair.

Good morning.

How are you doing?

I'm well, how are you?

Oh, I'm doing great.

Thanks for asking.

First time a commissioner asked me how I'm doing.

And you're not even an older adult yet.

Um, you don't know you don't know that.

I I could just have very good skin.

Um first, just to agree with Councilmember Brewer, yes, benches.

Yes yes to benches.

Um I wanna ask about immigration and housing.

Uh does the mayor's office for immigr uh immigrant affairs sit on the cabinet?

Yes, they do.

Um, how many in-person know your rights seminars has DIFTA conducted at their senior centers uh in the past in the current fiscal year?

Hi, um good morning.

So um the mayor's office of immigrant affairs is a member, um, they actually do know your rights trainings as you know.

Now they're called immigrant rights workshops um at older adult centers, but it is while they're a cabinet member, it's not necessarily a cabinet initiative.

As we mentioned, their interagency collaborations that they can leverage our existing network to provide the services that they already provide.

So we can bring that information to you in terms of the know your rights trainings that are conducted at older adult centers.

Yeah, and in addition if you can get the number of the the seminars done and the webinars done.

I mean, immigration is something that hits all of our communities and then includes our older adults.

Um so you don't conduct Moya comes in separately, that's not discussed at the cabinet.

I just can you explain that again?

So in terms of leveraging our provider network, as um as you know that we are funding our service network providers that can independently decide what happens in each older adult center.

So we've had conversations with um Moya in terms of zip codes or areas where they would like to do they would like to focus.

So what we've done is we've connected them to our service provider network, and for example, the older adult center directors will be the ones to work directly with Moya to coordinate and implement the Noyer Rights trainings, but we can get you that.

Yes, if you can get that, and secondly, um sorry, third, because I started with benches and immigration.

I'm gonna do third is more benches, and then fourth, um housing.

We talk often about rent stabilized housing and public housing.

Um Michelama housing is not spoken about typically as much.

I think there's some like forty-four thousand Michelama units, disproportionately more older adults live in Michelama housing.

Um I passed local law 44 of 2024, which requires HPD who sits on the cabinet uh to send pre-filled scree applications to older adults living in Michelama residence based on their um income affidavit, which they're required to fill out every year.

Um has this law or has Michelama housing at all come up during your cabinet meetings?

So we haven't spoken about Michelama exclusively.

I mean, and they think what we've talked about is really their um their Sarah program and other innovations that they've been doing, but we can okay we have so I I just I I I have to insist that this come up during your cabinet meetings because there's more to housing seniors and building new housing.

There's more to housing seniors than NYCHA.

Um it's uh in NYCHAs included, but preserving existing affordable programs and our Michelama housing stock is under duress right now and it is it is the way so many of our older adults are living affordably in New York City, and we in the council unanimously passed a bill to make it easier for our older adults to live affordably in New York City if they live in Michelama, these pre filled out uh scree applications.

Um it is unclear whether HPD is complying with the law.

Um and so it is critical that this this be raised during your cabinet meetings because DIFTA you guys, you know, we we love our older adults, you have your cabinet meetings to ensure that all agencies it's an all hands on deck moment to ensure that our older adults get the support they need, and this is a critical tool to make sure they are living affordably in our city and staying in their homes.

So local law forty-four of twenty twenty four.

And and thank you so much for that.

Um as chair of the committee, and also as the commissioner for DIFTA, definitely this is an area I would like us to have on the agenda for our next next meeting on June twenty fifth.

So for clarity, we will discuss it there and we'll bring back some additional information.

I appreciate that.

I'm glad it's gonna be on your agenda for June twenty-fifth.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Chair.

Thank you, Commissioner, and th thank you, Dinawas.

Um we I also find the example of NYCHA issue OACs.

So OACs located in NYCHA facility require NYCHA cov cooperation to make repairs.

We all know that.

And uh but they are the in Congress member Graceman's district.

Um there's a close closing of Latin year garden, older adults center at the NYCHA housing.

Um the roof is licking and this issue have been reported to NYCHA since 2025.

This issue highlighted the need to improve interagency coordination for older adults in your city.

So this type of situation now now to the point they have to move the center to the other center.

When I know it's not a your time, two thousand twenty-five.

This type of issue happened, what our cabinet did, and then what our interagency is supposed to do, I want to know more detail about this one.

And again, um not being retroactive but being proactive and future focused.

Um can't speak to what happened in 2025, but I can tell you what happened uh during my tenure.

And what we did was we went over and we assessed uh the conditions there, and they were suboptimal for our seniors, and that is the reason why we made the decision to close that center while the repairs are being uh uh effectuated, so that we do not further compromise any of our seniors.

And I understand we would prefer to prevent an issue like that, but we were in the moment and the emergency was on us.

So some decision had to be made as to how we were going to move forward.

So, yes, we are working along with NYCHA.

We do understand that there are many repairs that need to happen.

We have a liaison at New York City aging with NYCHA, and we will be working more closely with them.

And as I mentioned earlier, we have a 72% completion rate, which for me um is a huge improvement over what we what we've seen in the past, but it's not nearly enough.

We know more work needs to be done, and we're prepared to do the work.

For this OAC, what's a timeline?

I don't have a timeline for them yet.

But what I will say is I know that the seniors that were assigned to that center are in a safe, functional, attractive site now, being taken care of, receiving meals, having programming until that site comes back online.

The other site, um, the senior calling my office saying so too crowded.

Um I understand is any way we can push all the renovation, repair and all the older um licensing permits faster with the interagency relation.

Um like DOB takes three, two, three months to get a license, and then another agency takes another two, three months to get a license.

Is there any way DIFTA can help with this OAZ and the NYCH and the smooth the relationship, move everything faster?

Well, we certainly use our relationship to assist in ensuring that we have safe locations.

So sometimes um it may not be possible to expedite because there may be a concern that needs to be addressed.

Um it's not just issuing the permit, it's actually ensuring that we have a safe site.

So that is where our advocacy goes and where the relationship is uh leveraged so that we can ensure that our seniors are safe.

Thank you.

And that this is very important to a lot of seniors, not only just the senior uh have to travel, and also the senior they feel the space is too crowded right now.

And also we understand that contracted provider play an important role in connecting other adults with service provided across different agencies.

For example, the concept paper on the caregiver program for older New Yorkers that the NYC agent pushed in September 2025.

I know it's not your time.

NYC agents said that staff from Caregiver program assisted with assessing benefits, counseling, training, support groups, uh, and the supplemental service such as transportation, health, wellness supplies, and more.

We understand there were three citywide providers for the caregiver program, but now that's only one.

We also know that Hampton Medicine, which serves primary Asian order adults, was dropped as a citywide provider.

How is NYC aging ensure that older adults are receiving the support from contractors to help connect them with service from virus agency include Asian older adults?

How are you ensuring those program provider provide a continually of service and the efficient language access?

Well, as we know, the RFP process is an open competitive process.

So not every vendor uh may be reselected for a contract.

So we do have provisions within the RFP that ensure that whatever vendor is selected uh does have culturally responsive programming.

So if there is some specific need, and I have heard some concerns, um, our team is looking at um where we may be able to enhance or supplement to be sure that we are covering all of the needs for older New Yorkers.

So that uh RFP has not been effected yet, as you know, July 1st is the date, so I I there's not much I can say publicly.

However, I'll say we are reviewing the process.

Thank you.

And also um just for your background, New York City has 18% Asian, and the number is growing, and particularly for Chinese speaking and the um Pakistani community is growing uh a lot of time because the circle they live in closed circle sometimes, so they don't feel comfortable when the service suddenly changed.

So they are calling my office saying we don't want this, we don't want that.

I understand there's a process, but they are the people, I I for my point is I want the city agency and also provide the meet where they are so can really make them comfortable and the feels they be served.

A lot of the time it's not just uh we do have the language speaking, it's how they feel comfortable.

They like to have people from their circle to serve them, know that their culture, not only just the language.

So this is something I suggest before, and also I will say again, please reconsider that.

I just want to make one one comment on that again.

The RP has not gone into effect yet, the program has not gone into effect yet.

So I would question um whether folks can feel comfortable yet because they haven't tried the service.

I would say before we make a determination that the new contractor does not meet the needs, I'd say try the service first.

And then let's have a real cogent discussion about uh how they feel about it after they've tried for uh a while, just to see whether or not this is actually something that we should receive a complaint about.

Perhaps it could be an improvement.

Yeah, but uh when um we become older, we don't want to see a lot of change in the life because we cannot catch the speed.

So I want senior not only just feel safe, they feel comfortable also.

And uh the next question: does NYC agent collaborate with other agency on reporting requirements even if collaborating is not required by local law, so what reporting is more comprehensive?

If not, could NYC agent be willing to do so?

Does NYC agent think it will be helpful?

Well, I I'll say um one of the strengths of this administration is that there are strong interagency collaborations, and obviously New York City aging is part of that, and yes, we do collaborate whether or not the law uh requires us to do so because we feel we have a stronger, uh more effective resolution when we collaborate.

Thank you.

And the cabinet for older New Yorkers.

If I need to contact an agency representative on the cabinet for older New Yorkers, who should I contact?

Well, good news for you, it's me.

Because obviously, the cabinet for older New Yorkers is uh the responsibility of the chair along with all of the uh partners, so we would accept any questions or concerns that you would have.

However, remember we spoke earlier about the focus of the cabinet for older New Yorkers, is for higher level long-term sustainable change.

So if it's a constituent matter, that would be better vetted by one of the intergovernmental liaisons or one of the other persons.

So you would have to share the issue so that we could find out which bucket it belongs in.

So last hearing we request uh list of interagency uh the cabinet agency.

We receive a list of commissioners' name, um, yes, it's great.

I can find that information myself online, also is for the um OACs for some um people, seniors, they like to have really actual person, not just be sent to a website.

We like to have a list, not just commissioners' name.

I want whoever we can call to answer our phone calls and the emails.

I want the list like that, not just a list of commissioners' name.

We know what the um cabinet agency, which is who are the agencies, but we need to have a person, like say for NYC agent for commissioner, I cannot call you all the time for some issues, just very small.

Someone your assistant can help us to address.

Do we able to designate one person from each agency able to address this issue?

So we do have people designated by agency, but I think there's some conflating of two issues.

So I just want to be clear because I don't want to answer the wrong question.

So for larger issues that are systemic, those are the types of issues that uh the cabinet would deal with, and that's the reason I think the request was for the members of the cabinet for older New Yorkers.

So that's the reason you were given a list of commissioners because each commissioner or agency head is the liaison appointed to the cabinet for smaller issues that may be constituent matters and things like that, that's where intergovernmental would come into play.

So maybe I'm missing something.

Um, I think 90% questions, most of the time we see the issues we see is inter-government relations will be easier to talk with.

We don't want it, oh wow, constituents have full STEM issue.

Commissioner, can you address this issue?

This is not appropriate.

We want someone able to, like say, department of building.

We are working with some OAC needed to expedite the permit who they can call.

So you want to uh to address constituent issues then.

So it would be intergovernmental.

So are you asking us for a listing of who those people are?

Yes.

Okay, I think we our office can assist.

Yeah, and also like say OACs need assist about anything, they can call those people.

Not always call the commissioner.

Well, the OACs are directly under our purview, so if they're experiencing an issue, yeah, they should be calling me.

Um, but if there's something else in the community that needs to be addressed, we're we're happy to share a list of intergovernmental liaisons if that's what you need.

Yeah, and as you see before we had the question about NYCHA building, it's from 2025.

The issue is not in your uh when you are the commissioner.

Probably you will do better.

I believe you do much better.

Uh but the issue is when the commissioner changed administration change, we want to have still have the designate person there to help address this type of issue.

Cannot because yes, reach out to commissioner directly will be nice, but sometimes the administration change we don't want to have the gap for seniors.

There's a gap between um administration, there are service or have gaps too.

So that's people worry about.

Yeah, and thank you for sharing that concern.

But those uh liaisons are still there, much like uh much of the leadership, because obviously there was an administration change and there were people that changed, um, some of the liaisons changed for various reasons too throughout the year.

But that particular post is always there, someone's assigned to it, and we will give you the most recent uh listing of liaisons, intergovernmental liaisons.

If that's what you need, we'll give you that.

However, understanding that you know folks have the right to change jobs or retire and all those things.

So we'll give you what we have.

Yeah, if um DIFTA can provide not only just my office from for OACs also, they sometimes need help so they can address that issue faster.

So that's that's my ask.

Okay, we'll review it with our OAC leadership because as you know, I do meet with all of the program directors.

Um, and I haven't heard this concern from any of them, but um, if it exists, we will address it.

And the second question: how are the agency representatives of cabin selected?

Well, it's selected again in accordance with the law.

Um, there are member agencies that were noted in the law, and we have expanded on that based on the needs of uh older New Yorkers.

So where we find that we may need to invite another uh agency to attend, or if there's an agency that's uh interested in attending, they will be invited as well.

How does the cabinet set its own agenda?

Well, um thankfully uh the council has helped us to shape the agenda for the next meeting by sharing some of your concerns.

Um obviously we have higher level concerns um that come from the commissioners and from the agency heads, and also as I mentioned earlier, trends and patterns that we're picking up as we're out in the community and interacting with older New Yorkers.

Is there any priority over this year and the next year?

Yes, the four focal areas that I mentioned earlier: food and security, affordable housing, access to quality health care and safety.

How does cabinet select input from advocates, community-based organizations, and the serve provider for its report providers for its reports agenda and for border coordination with other agencies?

Please explain how you are receiving and integrating that feedback.

We meet regularly with program directors, with uh non-profits, with philanthropies, with all bodies throughout the city to uh to gather feedback and hear their perspectives and needs and concerns.

So all of those are taken into account as we look at cabinet issues again.

These are higher level type issues.

If there are smaller concerns, we address them at New York City aging either through our collaboration with other agencies or collaboration with council or uh other entities.

Uh could you be open to have providers represented in cabinet meeting?

Well, that's not what the law states, and again, we will comply with the law.

So that is not the forum for them, but obviously they are invited to attend the age-friendly, age inclusive group.

We'd like to have them there, or any of uh our other uh forums by which they can share information.

Could you be open to create a formal pathway for provider to contribute to the cabinet's work?

Well, I believe that they do, and my assistant commissioner would like to mention uh an item, but I believe that they already do.

But again, um we'll talk about some of the other formal structures we have.

So I would, in addition to the age-friendly commission, which there are providers who have been serving, um, there's a long-standing formation called the Advisory Council, and which obviously the council through the borough delegations also um select representatives to serve on the advisory council.

So they're on the advisory council, and I'll just tell you like in terms of the timeline.

The advisory council is like one of the earliest formations that was provided pursuant to um federal law and also state law.

So it is like the community input portion that is part of receiving older Americans act funding.

And so, of course, that was codified by the state and also codified by the charter.

And following that, the age-friendly commission.

So that is like in the early 80s, the age friendly commission was launched in 2010, really as a public-private partnership and really as a multidisciplinary approach to ensuring that the city is as age-friendly and of course as age inclusive as possible.

So then the cabinet was founded in 2022, which is specific to the city government agencies, and when it was codified in 2024, it ensured that that it was really only um city agencies doing that, um, having that input and also collaborating and really looking at a system change perspective to see what as we as city agencies can do better in service to older New Yorkers, and that is not enough for NYC aging to be the only agent, the agency that is focused on older New Yorkers.

And so the committee input has always included um provider representation.

I'll say including Sage, including um other providers, Carter Burden, etc.

So that's really the provider space, and with the establishment of each of these formations, there is rich interrelation in terms of, and especially now given that the cabinet is the newest formation, that work is also presented in both of these other formations for feedback and also sharing and also inputs in terms of what a provider might see in the catchment that they serve that the cabinet could be doing, and vice versa.

So that's really um that's the formation where providers are very active in, and then also they've provided input in the age-friendly space.

And you know, versus open versus closed, we should really leverage the ex official structure that has already long been part of the age-friendly commission versus the cabinet that doesn't have an exit structure.

Could unwise the agent be open to including department of design and the construction in future cabinet meetings.

Absolutely.

Uh the issues that are of concern for today, um, we may decide to add other agencies or invite them in, or they may have an interest.

So we're not barring any agency from joining us in the effort.

Are there any agency or entity that could be added to cabinet work because they are impact of impact on other New Yorkers?

Absolutely.

That would be the reason for them to be added to the committee that they're to the uh cabinet um that there are issues or trends or patterns that uh warrant them being at the table.

Have all required members of cabinet attending the cabinet meetings?

Uh I'll find out on the 25th for my first meeting, but we do, as you know, we've sent uh as part of our annual plan, our annual report, uh, the committee attendance as well as the issues and initiatives that were discussed at the meetings.

Which agency have been most active practicating in the cabinet work?

I mean, except uh DIFTA.

Well, I don't want to pit one agency against the other.

I think they all contribute in various ways, and uh, whatever the contribution, it's valuable because it moves us towards that target of having our older New Yorkers uh age in place with dignity.

So um I'd say all of our members are active and participating.

Um the law allows the commissioner to invite federal state and the local entities to participate in cabinet, not just the city agency, that's correct.

Well, that is not our interpretation of it, um, but we do partner with our uh local government and as well as our state government.

How does NYC agent ensure the cabinet meeting resulting can uh in action rather than just information sharing alone?

Through monitoring, um uh to ensure that issues are progressing along, obviously the subcommittees meet uh on a regular basis even when the cabinet is not in session because we meet quarterly, those meetings are held monthly, and there are representatives from various agencies and work groups that continue the work and then report back to agency heads.

Is there any way to measure that?

Well, I'll take a look at the initiatives that will come forth on the 25th to find out if there are more metrics that uh we can take a look at and review and report.

And also, what's the metric does NYC agent use to evaluate whether the cabinet is improving outcome for other adults?

We would need to set some benchmarks and some targets for some of the initiatives that will uh be presented to us on the 25th.

What legislative challenges could strengthen the cabinet ability to coordinate the service crossing agencies?

Not aware of any now that um would prevent us from collaborating.

Um we fully expect to collaborate strongly with all of our uh fellow city agencies.

Okay, and uh next topic, health and the mental hygiene.

What does oh what is a working relationship between NYC aging and the DOM DOH MH?

Well, I will say my fellow commissioner Dr.

Martin and I have a very strong relationship and we have partnered uh already on some uh issues of interest to our OACs and to our older New Yorkers, and uh we will continue that strong relationship.

Are there any collaborative projects you guys doing right now?

There are some issues that we are addressing in common and um we look forward to having more projects actually on the cabinet, and I don't know if you want to add anything.

Sure.

So pursuant to local law 118 that was passed, which really focuses on um services provided to older adults for um certain identified neurological and mental health conditions.

So in addition to DOHMH, we have partnered with them in um really getting a survey in terms of uh the services that are provided and other um provisions that are pursuing to that legislation, and in addition to them, we've also been working with health and hospitals, parks, other members of the cabinet, um also uh community of mental health, um, so it's really multi- uh multi-agency um through the cabinet, but DOHMH has been um one of the agencies that we've been working on on that in response to that legislation.

Um is NYC agent work with uh DOH MH to address rising rate of sexual transmitted disease issue in the older adult community?

Well, that is a very uh specific issue that from the New York City aging standpoint, uh, we're not healthcare providers, as you know.

So from our standpoint, it would be more of an education initiative.

So uh there are uh there's a framework in place right now for us to be able to provide more information in in that regard if DOHMH uh does require us to to assist.

Uh the other day I want to share uh information.

The other day I was listening to the radio driver on the way to City Hall, and on 1010 News it said New York City become number one HIV um people carrier in in United States.

We overcome become number one over uh Las Vegas.

So this is an issue I think should pay for us pay more attention on this issue.

Um was NYC aging involved in DOH MH's STI prevention campaign last year?

Yes, we were involved last year, and we continue to provide additional information to older New Yorkers about uh STIs.

Uh also through SAGE, we also address the LGBTQI plus community.

Okay, so that's um work done in OACs?

Yes.

Okay, thank you.

Is this topic is this a topic uh the cabinet has been working on?

They the for other adults?

So we haven't focused on this particular topic lately, but it is something that we can raise on the 25th and of course with the liaison and agency head.

Okay.

Is NYC agent work with um DOHMH on issues of older adults' mental health?

Any programs right now?

Well, I will say this is an area that uh Dr.

Martin and I have discussed, and we do plan on uh uh adding this as one of the issues for the cabinet, and we'd like to collaborate more closely.

Is there any metric we can use to um really assess the cabinet work on any issue like this one?

The metrics are not in place right now, but they will be when we have our meeting on June 25th going forward.

Uh that is part of the standard operating procedure as far as I'm concerned for chairing a committee, that we have some really tangible ways to be able to measure progress.

Okay.

Next topic, housing, NYC aging recently, sir um NYC agents, recent service needs assessment.

Um a lot of older adults have been struggled with housing issues.

How does NYC aging coordinate with NATO to address the needs of older adults in the public housing and also right now NATO has 10,000 empty apartments?

Yes.

And again, uh having not uh sat for our first meeting, it's very difficult to say this is what uh we've done at the meeting with the cabinet when you know we're just starting.

So these are issues, obviously, these are not secrets, these are issues that we are well aware of and we would like to address along with our agency partners.

So you can consider that that is one that we will come back and bring more information because we will have more information available.

Well, definitely in the future.

Absolutely.

Have a hearing on this topic, because a senior has been from this community I serve almost every single day.

I have senior come to my office saying, Oh, I need senior housing.

Can you help us to apply NYCHA apartments?

It's coming every single day.

And uh with the population growing, senior population growing in New York City.

I believe this will be more and more.

It's one of the top categories for us as well.

Um, as I mentioned earlier, we have our aging connect platform and we do receive uh feedback from seniors.

So housing is a consideration and it is one of the four focal areas, as I mentioned earlier.

Affordable housing definitely is on our radar as well as a priority.

So without Section A, so can New York City build more senior housing after 2028?

I know there are some senior housing in the pipeline.

So after 2028, we don't like there's no more Section A.

So what's a plan for senior housing?

Well, my plan now is to address the needs of older New Yorkers now.

For us to uh start long-term care, long-term planning, obviously that is something that the council the cabinet needs to talk about.

But for the issues that we have today, I I think for me, my my time is better spent on trying to uh address the needs of today.

But if there's no nothing in the pipeline after 2028, I'm not saying there's nothing in the pipeline.

I'm saying that those are issues that we definitely need to address as we move forward.

Um I could say today that you know we'd have housing available, but that wouldn't be very reliable.

So I'd rather bring you reliable information that we fed it.

Okay, local law 75 of 2021 requires establishment of uh public housing liaison within NYC aging.

Who is currently?

We currently have our liaison uh Marlene Shiloh who's been there for many years and um has been able to address most of the issues, and we've communicated her information uh quite a few times.

What are her responsibilities?

So um she liaises directly with NYCHA and particularly on all the older adult centers that are located in um NYCHA communities and um and really helps troubleshoot um a lot of issues that arise that are related to older adult centers um located in NYCHA citywide.

Does she give any uh recommendations or any recommendation be implemented?

She has ongoing discussions with NYCHA of course about what are um in terms of this is a need that is raised by providers that are at these sites, and then also discussing like back and forth with NYCHA, of course, talking about potential timelines to address any issues.

Is any program or facility receive funding from um yc aging can fetter serve older adults in NIT for NYCHA residents?

Did she give any recommendation for NYCHA residents?

It's very specific to older adult center.

Yes, yes, because her portfolio obviously is an older adult center, um, you know, within that we are related to in terms of sponsoring.

Does she give any recommendation about the the uh senior um OAC in um Congress member Graceman's district?

You mean Latimer Gardens?

Yes.

So she um she has part of the team that has opined on that with since Latimer Gardens High in OAC, as you mentioned.

Local law 75 of 2021 also require NYC agent to develop a system to receive and process complaints regarding OAC facilities local in OIC NYCHA of um property.

What does NYC agent do when it's receives such complaint and what is a collaboration process with NYCHA when it's come to addressing this complaint?

My apologies.

We do have a robust system for being able to identify and address issues when they come up in NYCHA.

Obviously, it begins with the uh awareness of the system and being able to educate folks that there is a process in place, um, also submitting a ticket for repair um and that ticket being shared with uh NYC aging, and then if we find that uh the timeline has not been met or the projected timeline has not been met, being able to escalate that request up to leadership at NYC aging and then also to the leadership of NYCHA.

How does NYC aging coordinate with NYCHA and HPD to increase enrollment for SCREE and the DRE program?

So um in terms of screen Dree, it isn't with NYCHA and HPD.

What we've done is um particularly with HRA and Adult Protective Services, we have found that the adult protective services team definitely uh benefited from support in terms of helping to navigate the scree enrollment process and also renewals.

And even determining whether or not an APS client's apartment or home is even eligible for screen tree, right?

Obviously, you have to be in a rent stabilized unit.

And so what we've done with the partnership of the Mayor's Public Engagement Unit, also another cabinet member, and particularly their tenant support team that do this work day in and day out, daily with the department of finance on screen Dre enrollment and renewals that they've trained and also created a toolkit specific to APS to the APS team to serve APS clients to ascertain um whether a unit is um eligible for screen and um what APS has done is they've established a formal process to request from the landlord just to determine that the unit is rent stabilized and eligible for screen tree benefits, and then what PU has done has trained the APS team on the documentation that's required, they'll help facilitate um any um like gov information sharing with the Department of Finance and also follow up if there are any questions once applications are filed and including renewals.

So that's what we've done to the cabinet.

Thank you.

And also I I recently I start following um DIFTAS Facebook page, and they have good translation.

I read I read Chinese too.

I see that the Chinese translation, the translation is good, but the Chinese in general, especially for older adults, they are not in Facebook if they don't read English.

The one reading is they are in Facebook, but in other senior community, they are in WICHA, and the Korean they are in KK Talk.

So please reach out to them in different platforms.

Let's move to another topic uh about food and security.

How does NYC aging collaborate with other agencies to address food access and the insecurity issue for older adults?

Well, obviously, you know, we have a very robust platform for being able to provide uh meals throughout the city.

So we do make sure that our other agency partners are aware of the meals that are being provided through our OAC centers and also uh through our home delivered meal program and uh the uh any other areas where we can have a pop-up cafe or any needs for various areas or share it with us and we try to address them immediately.

And the SNAP fraud is a major issue facing older adults in New York City, aging coordinating with NYC HRA to help older adults protect their um self from SNAP fraud is NYC aging in contact with HRA, and uh is the 311 portal NYPD is helping on this issue.

Yes, uh on all accounts.

We are partnering with HRA.

Uh, the 311 portal has been extremely helpful, and uh as you know, we've had several events over this uh last few weeks and going forward during the month of June, it's world uh uh elder abuse awareness month, and we've had uh events uh that uh helping to educate.

Uh we've partnered with even on DTF, uh Peter White, the from the mayor's office of uh D theft uh prevention.

Um, and we have several different um events where we've been able to highlight things like fraud, snap fraud and uh deep theft and elder abuse over the last few weeks.

So, yes, there is there are many, many many um ways that we've been partnering with various agencies and with NYPD, because uh thankfully for us it is actually a crime, so it is something that can be prosecuted.

So, yes.

Um, I do have a case from my office, I can share with you that as a senior gets uh snap fraud.

Uh, she has 350 something dollar in her account over the night when she has received the money.

She gets swiped away.

And uh she went to NYPD, our local precinct.

Local precinct told her they don't take this type of report.

And then she calls 311, 311 said they don't do that either.

And then they that that person came to my office, and then we reported and we caught NYPD, our local precinct, come to take a report in my office.

So this type of issue happened very often, and also seniors when they especially in my area, I have a large immigrant community, they have trouble to communicate and also they have they don't English is not their first language for seniors.

Um I do understand it's hard to understand them because they have strong accent with local dialogue, even doesn't speak English.

But I see a lot of times city agency doesn't take a step forward to do extra effort to address their issue.

Well, please share uh that report that you have, and again, it's something that we encourage that um older adults don't feel intimidated or feel ashamed or afraid to report if they do have any incidents like this.

Yes, the NYPD does partner with us and they have followed up on on these issues.

Don't know if there was a misunderstanding there, but I'm certainly glad that the older adult did reach out to your office or reach out to anyone that can help is the saddest thing to think about someone preying on uh older adults and uh denying them of access to food, so all of us are aligned that uh we will do all we can to protect our older New Yorkers from any type of abuse.

And uh when we talk about um report to NYPD, we my office last week received a senior sexual abuse case in one of the senior um housing, and uh the the senior doesn't speak English at all, speak local dialogue, and even not mandarin or canton, it's very small dialogue.

She told four days later, she told her daughter she get sexually abused in her building, and then the daughter called NYPD.

NYPD came in, did not take the report, and then saying, Oh, we didn't find anything.

So the daughter two days after reporting the incident, two days later, the daughter told me what happened, and our office called NYPD.

NYPD sent another group of people with the interpreter come to the site.

They actually able to find the footage and their and the rest one person there.

So we definitely need more interagency collaboration.

Um a lot of the time seniors rely on you, um DIFTA to address this type of issue.

Is there any way we can work together and make sure everyone takes extra step when they see seniors?

That's what I'm asking.

Absolutely, and and that's the reason we exist, and our elder justice unit exists to provide that type of assistance and protection for older New Yorkers.

So, yes, they should absolutely let us know, and I'm happy that there was uh the outcome of this person um being caught in this instance.

Yeah, does NYC agent provide any service to help older adults with their interact interaction with NYPD?

So, um I mean we'd be interested in terms of um which area or which precinct.

So um in 2023, through the cabinet, the NYPD designated an older adult liaison for every precinct and police service area, and so meaning even for Nitro communities where there's an overlap between the precinct and the police service area, both older adult liaisons are involved, whether it's in terms of outreach or responding to any issues that are raised by older adults in the community, and so these are issues that of course like require like specialized response through um elder justice and other providers in terms of um sexual violence, but we the older adult liaisons are the ones that are really the um primary contact for older adults who, whether they need information or are victims of crime in each of these areas.

And I'd also like to highlight that um there has been uh special training provided for officers on their interactions with older adults, and to date about 40,000 officers have been trained.

Is a crime occurs in NYCHA run senior housing?

Is the NYC agent able to provide support?

Yes.

Uh, if we are aware of the event, um we are able to provide support for uh the family that's affected as well as our older adults.

Okay, um, how does NYC agent collaborate with NYC?

I mean New York State Office of for Aging.

Well, there is a a continuous collaboration uh with the state office um on a daily basis.

There are meetings and uh trainings uh that are conducted uh between the state and and the city level, and um I'm happy to report too that um I've been able to meet with Greg Olsen from the state office and we're looking at some collaborations that we may be able to to have between the two agencies in the future.

There's one issue I want to mention here because senior housing.

Senior housing is a state legislation.

We cannot pass in New York City, but if when you guys have meetings, please mention this topic.

If we can encourage people to build more senior housing or senior units when they're doing housing, that will be very helpful for New York City.

We have to be creatively think how to address senior housing issue.

Absolutely.

One of the four focal areas.

For introduction 230, do you support introduction 230?

We support the intent of the bill.

Um obviously we are looking at um how it will be operationalized, but definitely we support the intent.

Does NYC agent currently provide older adults with assistance with income preventive adaptation?

Absolutely.

As I mentioned in my testimony, we do have a grant that we are implementing as well to assist older New Yorkers to make their home safer.

Uh so yes.

And then what kind of assistant?

Well, we actually send uh an occupational therapist out to the home, and they assess whether or not there are hindrances or safety issues or concerns in the older adult's home, and they can recommend uh changes through minor construction.

Introduction 230 would require NYC agent to work with Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities.

What is NYC agent's collaborative relationship with the office currently?

We again have a very, very strong relationship with my fellow commissioner Nisha Argawal.

Um, in fact, uh, we attended a symposium.

We served on a panel together very recently in reference to older adults that also have intellectual and developmental disabilities.

So we we are very aware of the strong connection between our two agencies and we collaborate uh freely.

Can I say you support this law?

I support the intent.

So what's the other part uh you have concern?

The second part that I mentioned earlier, which is in the operations of it.

Um there are some specifics that you need to have in order to be able to implement the the entire bill.

So I'd like to have more clarity there.

Okay, great.

I finish all my questions.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Commissioner.

Thank you.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

I now open the hearing for public testimony.

Before we begin, I want to remind the members of the public that this is a four more government proceeding and uh the court shall be observed at all times.

As such, members of public shall remain silent at all times.

The witness table is reserved for people who wish to testify.

No video recording or photography is allowed from the witness table.

Further, members of public may not present audio or video recording as testimony, but may submit transcript of such recordings to sergeant at Arm for including in the hearing record.

If you wish to speak at today's hearing, please fill out appearance cards with Sergeant at Arm and wait for your name to be called.

Once your name has been called, you will have two minutes to speak on the over site topic interagency coordination for older adults.

If you have a written test written statement or additional written testimony you wish to submit for the record, please provide a copy of that testimony to Sergeant at arm.

You may also email rate and testimony to testimony at NYC.

Testimony at consults nyc.gov within 72 hours of this hearing.

Audio and video recording will not be accepted.

When you heard your name, please come up to the witness panel for the first panel.

We invite Jessica.

Jessica for Tech Bronsky.

Kevin Kim Pronsky.

Anita Quak.

Do you want to put another most at the table?

Yeah, there's that.

Or we could just do.

Yeah.

It's fine.

I already see it there.

Okay.

Please speaking.

Good afternoon.

I'm Jessica Fredrik Brodsky, Senior Vice President for PROS, Personalized Recovery Oriented Services at Service Program for Older People, SPOC.

Thank you, Chair Zhuang for holding this oversight hearing and for the opportunity to address the community on aging.

SPOP plays a unique role in supporting the health, emotional well-being, and independence of older adults, and we've done so for more than 45 years.

We're the only agency in the city that is exclusively dedicated to community-based mental health care for older adults.

We provide outpatient treatment to a thousand people each year through individual and group therapy, assessments, medication management, and psychiatric rehabilitation.

The older adults served by SPOP are amongst the most vulnerable New Yorkers.

Many live with serious mental health conditions such as major depression, bipolar disorders, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, and trauma-related conditions.

A significant number live alone, have limited family or social support, and face chronic medical conditions, mobility limitations, poverty, food insecurity, and housing instability.

For many of the people we serve, social isolation is not simply a matter of loneliness.

It is a significant risk factor that can both that can worsen both mental and physical health, increase emergency room visits and hospitalizations, and undermine their ability to age safely and independently in their communities.

Within our PROS program, we work with older adults whose mental health conditions have created substantial barriers to community integration and daily functioning.

Many participants have experienced repeated psychiatric hospitalizations, years of disconnection from employment and community life, and profound social isolation.

We recognize that each participant has goals, talents, aspirations, and is defined by their strengths, not their limitations.

Through rehabilitation, peer support, skill building, and meaningful opportunities for social connection, we help participants maintain their recovery, strengthen their independence, and reclaim a sense of purpose and belonging.

Our participants are mothers and fathers, sisters, brothers, grandparents, friends, artists, comedians, mentors, advocates, and lifelong learners.

At SPOP, we create opportunities for older adults to reconnect with those identities and roles while building new relationships and strength strengthening their ties to community.

Every day we witness the transformative impact of the connection, inclusion, and purpose can have on a person's recovery and quality of life.

We see older adults not defined by their age, but empowered by their resilience, experience, and continued contributions.

I thank the Committee on Aging for its commitment to expanding access to mental health services for older adults.

And I urge you to continue to explore innovative and effective ways to support the mental, physical, and emotional well-being of all older New Yorkers.

Thank you for this opportunity.

You have best timing.

And the floor right now, how many people you guys serve for mental health issue.

You're asking me, sir.

Yeah.

So we we serve about a thousand people each year.

So, as a lot of people in the waiting list.

Oh no.

We try to get people connected as quickly as possible.

Okay.

Thank you.

Thank you for the opportunity to testify.

My name is Anita.

I am a policy analyst at United Neighborhood Houses.

Our members operate programs that touch NYC aging, DYCD, NYCHA, and more, and we consistently hear frustration from our members about lack of coordination between these agencies.

One of which is NYCHA.

Councilmember, thank you for asking the uh NYCHA liaison question because we asked our members and they don't know who they're who the NITA liaison is.

They don't know the name, they question whether or not this person actually exists to this day.

I asked them last month, they didn't they had no idea, and it was a lot of confusion.

There's also constant needs of repairs because tickets get get closed randomly or they remain open without resolution.

You have OACs, NORX operating in NYCHAs without necessary infrastructure, like a working accessible bathroom.

NYC aging and NYCHA need to stop pointing their fingers at each other while older adults are left in deteriorating spaces.

With us being in the summer season, experiencing the muggy heat, I also want to bring to light cooling centers.

A lot of providers also serve as cooling centers without receiving additional funding.

These providers who are cooling centers work with multiple city agencies, but they find the interagency communication to be frustrating and unclear.

With this intensifying climate change, it also means the growing um threats of climate-related emergencies beyond heat, such as extreme cold.

So UNH recommends that the city designate a position either in DOHMH or emergency management to coordinate all weather-related operations and provide consistent answers to providers.

Finally, intergenerational programming is something all our members want more support from in agencies and implementing programs.

Older adults don't only use services from NYC aging, they interact with programs from agencies across the city government, but there's no coordination at NYC Aging that reflects that.

We urge the council at NYC Aging to think beyond the traditional aging service network and work with other agency other agencies such as DYCD and build intergenerational approaches in their programs such as at Cornerstones to combat social isolation, combat ageism, and build a community where people of all ages can thrive.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Today everyone have perfect timing.

Um we're definitely follow-up with NYC aging for that liaison's contact information.

We'll share with everyone.

Everyone, I suggest everyone have a document when you contact that person, when you get a response, why it takes so long.

So definitely we'll follow up with everyone.

Yeah.

Okay.

Good morning, Chair Duang.

Um, my name is Kathy Kaprowski.

I work at Live On New York.

Uh, and I'm here to represent the over a hundred and ten community-based nonprofits that make up our membership and quite frankly struggle a lot with the fact that uh the city does not do a good job of coordinating agency responses.

Um, our policies must align with the new reality that the city is currently almost 20% people over 65, and as we heard from council members earlier, 40% increase by 2040.

I don't see a lot of this coming out from agencies, but we're so glad that you bring this up every time because the council seems to be really aligned with the reality of things, and we're really grateful that we're moving forward with you on that.

Um, older adults are bearing the brunt of the current poly crisis the cities is facing.

Climate change affects us more as we age.

A majority of people who die from heat-related illnesses are over 65.

Older New Yorkers are becoming homeless faster than any other demographic, and food prices are throwing more of our neighbors into few food insecurity and hunger.

All of the things that are affecting everyone are affecting older adults most acutely.

In order to solve this, we need full coordination from all city agencies.

Aging is not just a DIFTA issue anymore.

DIFTA needs to be able to lead and coordinate how agencies respond to the needs of aging New Yorkers.

The first one is the aging cabinet should be focusing on specific policy areas and directives.

For example, housing, wellness, and community support, housing to make sure everybody can stay in their homes, wellness to make sure that people have enough food and that people can cope with the fact that we live in a heating uh a hotter city, a more flooding city, a city with worse air quality because of uh wildfires, and community support to ensure that people are not isolated to ensure that we're protecting people from dementia to ensure that people's mental health is taken care of.

Secondly, we need increased transparency.

We need them to open meetings to people so that we can see what they're talking about so that there's actual accountability to the people that they're serving and to the people serving those that they say they're serving.

Um, and we need to make sure that the plans match the needs of older New Yorkers and not just conversations internally for what the city thinks.

The third one is we need to increase the policy scope.

The cabinet should be making large scale recommendations to HPD and HRA about how all of their programs need to incorporate.

We are grateful that they have made changes in certain programs.

Is it okay if I go through?

Yeah, we are grateful they've made changes in certain programs, but we need a large scale plan for every agency in the city to work with older adults, and it needs to happen quickly.

And the last one, we need to expand the cabinet.

There needs to be external people in those conversations.

There needs to be folks from actual providers to understand how these things will be operationalized.

There needs to be uh folks for with policy expertise in the academia space to understand where the growth needs to be.

And I know that we heard earlier that it's not allowed in the law, but the wonderful thing about the law is that it can be changed when we need to.

So we are excited to work with you on that.

Uh, and we do think that the cabinet is a great opportunity for us to start bringing aging into every city agency.

And thank you for the opportunity to testify.

So, my question, we need the amends this law, right?

Yes.

And also, another since you represent a large of um senior centers.

Would you be support intro 230?

Uh, could you just remind me of 230?

There's a lot of numbers in my brain.

So the one we talk about today is Crystal, Councilmember Christo Hudson's bill.

Yes, we are in support of Councilmember Hudson's bill.

So and that to support that bill, we need funding.

Yes.

Right?

Oh, we any funding that needs to go towards aging programs, you have our back with that.

Um, thank you.

And also, do you have any people you want to recommend to be in the cabinet?

We would have a list of recommendations because we do represent most of the city's older adult housing developers.

We represent most of the city's older adult centers, so we could put together a good list of folks who understand how operationally these things happen.

And we also have great partnerships with a lot of the academia in this space.

Thank you.

Please speaking.

Good afternoon, and thank you for convening this hearing today and for the opportunity to testify.

My name's Janine Cahill Jackson.

I'm the director of Elder Law with the Legal Aid Society, where we focus on preventing eviction and helping seniors obtain the supports they need to continue to reside in the community safely.

My testimony today will focus on the support of Intro 230, the financial assistance program for the in-home preventative adaptations for older adults.

This program is greatly needed by older New Yorkers and could truly be life-changing.

Through my work at the Legal Aid Society, I see firsthand the challenges that ensue when apartments lack accommodations for the older adults to live safely, particularly as their mobility becomes increasingly impaired.

These older adults often find themselves in housing court and become our clients for several reasons.

One, they may fall behind in rent because they fell in the apartment due to conditions and resulted in hospit hospitalization and a nursing home stay due to the injury after the fall.

Further, they may face challenges being discharged from the nursing home if the apartment does not include the sufficient modifications to allow them to reside there safely.

Older adults may also withhold rent in hopes that this will gain them leverage to have a reasonable accommodation request approved by their landlord.

Others need to be carried up the stairs to their apartment by a home health aid because they can no longer make the stairs and don't have other housing options.

While this while this is a strong and much needed bill, I have several suggestions that we believe could make it even stronger.

First, as most low-income adults are renters, this program should be administered such that if the modifications to be made to the apartment, or sorry, modifications to be made to the apartment are done in coordination and with express approval of the landlord.

Specifically in rent stabilized and other uh subsidized departments, it is a lease violation for the tenant to modify the apartment without the landlord's approval.

And thus the failure to have the approval could cause the older adult to receive help, but then have grounds for eviction.

While not all modifications would be I'm sorry, may I continue?

Okay.

And I'm not going to be at all as timely as my colleagues, so please I can I'll be submitted written testimony as well.

Um, but I'll continue briefly.

Uh while not all modifications will need to be um extensively approved by the landlord, such as a grab bar, with the approval of up to ten thousand dollars per person, this program does seem to contemplate more extensive modifications, perhaps it's converting a tub into a roll-in shower, which would certainly require landlord's approval.

Second, regarding the application and approval process, I strongly recommend that there be a right to a request a fair hearing if the applicant is denied.

Additionally, if the landlord approval is needed, and there could be an opportunity uh for there to have for there to be disability discrimination that occurs if their landlord improperly denies the reasonable accommodation request.

Accordingly, this could perhaps be addressed through collaboration with the New York City Commission on Human Rights.

Further on the topic of application, uh the application should be clear as to what the older adult has to provide in terms of proving disability, which could be a challenge uh to obtain this documentation.

Specifically to note, the older adults may have received social security disability, which is a typical proof of disability for various programs.

However, for older New Yorkers, 67 and older, their SSD actually converts to Social Security retirement, no longer providing that pretty clear proof.

Um, additionally, just to note the standard for disability proof for this program and also under reasonable accommodation law is actually lower than that of Social Security, which is fantastic, but then again creates a challenge perhaps for the older adult to figure out how to prove their disability in their application.

Third and lastly, older New Yorkers could greatly benefit from the assistance in determining what modifications they could be eligible for or what might benefit them as they develop their applications.

For example, they may truly need the widening of their bathroom doorway to be able to enter with their wheelchair, but they may never have been able to file them that was an option.

So to include this component of assistance in the assessment and development of the modification plan could be greatly beneficial.

Thank you for your time, and I'll be submitting written testimony as well.

Thank you.

Do you think current um CD agency they have collaboration is the efficient?

Um, can you elaborate on your question?

I'm not sure.

Like an NYC agent, they say they have the cabinet right now, they say they they as collaborating between agencies.

Do you think it's the efficient?

I haven't seen any of the outcomes of the collaboration um impact my clients either way, so I couldn't speak with specificity.

Okay.

So for I have a question for Anita.

Um, you have when you guys have NYCHA issues when you contact CD agency, how long take you to get a response?

Um, so we're not a direct service provider, but our members will reach out to NYCHA and they'll get a ticket, and then the ticket will nothing will come out of the ticket.

Um, sometimes they know to escalate to their DIFTA program officer, and that way it gets resolved a bit quicker.

I don't have the specifics of the number, but I know specifically for the nitro liaison, a lot of our members, it seems like their DIFTA program officer will not keep put them in contact with the NITR liaison directly.

They'll have to go through multiple avenues, so the NITA liaison knows what's going on, but they will not have direct contact with the nitro liaison.

Got it.

Okay.

Yeah.

Um, additionally, we have stories from our members who have gone to NYCHA to fix an issue in their uh in their center.

Uh the issue it was flagged by, let's say FDNY as a safety hazard, NITRE refused to fix it.

DIFTA refused to fund them for it, they got brought to oath court, and then the center provider themselves, because of a lack of coordination between DIFTA, FDNY and NYCHA, the center provider was held personally liable and threatened with arrest if they didn't fix it.

But because of a lack of interagency coordination, there was no path to fix it.

So our center director basically just had to tell, oh, there's nothing I can do.

I don't have the authorization from NYCHA to fix it.

I don't have the funding from DIFTA to fix it.

FDNY will not allow us to move forward with this.

So there are situations where the lack of interagency coordination causes personal uh harm to the like social workers who are doing this work themselves, and if we remember how much the city is funding a lot of these social work contracts for, they're not making a lot of money to do it, they're really doing it because they care about it, and they're taking on a lot of this risk themselves.

Can you guys document those cases?

Absolutely.

I can connect you with the service provider because uh some service providers have dealt with this multiple times and have basically just gotten to the point where it's uh par for the course.

That's the story I hear every day.

Also, yeah.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

So next panel.

We have Carl Johnson and Martha Kember.

Okay, that's definitely true.

That's that, yeah.

You can ask if there's anyone else.

Okay.

Okay.

Well, you got the writing.

You guys are kind of thinking.

Thank you.

Good afternoon, Chair Zhuang.

Uh, my name is Carl Johnson.

I built Elevator Advocate, a free online NYC elevator complaint tracker that classifies chronic offenders, which are buildings that have more than one complaint over the last 12 months, and three or more over the last three years.

I live in Longwood in the Bronx, and I'm here about a gap leaving our older adults in a state of lethal isolation.

On May 19th, my elderly neighbor on the eighth floor was trapped inside uh the only building in our elevator for 20 minutes.

She called the super, got no answer.

She was cut off.

In my census tract, nearly one in four residents has a disability, and many are seniors.

For them, a failed elevator is not an inconvenience, it's an emergency.

Uh, the elevator in my building is out for the fifth time this season.

Last summer was out for three weeks out of stretch.

In 2002, this council introduced resolution 587 after DeMal Suero lost his life at 10 Richmond Plaza.

Today that building has over 39 complaints in the last three years.

The system has failed this building for a generation.

DIFTA already delivers emergency wheels, uh meals during elevator outages, but that protocol is entirely reactive.

July is the worst month for elevator complaints citywide, spiking 35% above monthly average.

We need no new agency or budget line.

Local law 64 of 2024, co-sponsored by council member Zhuang, codified the cabinet for older New Yorkers to break down these silos, but there is still no data bridge between DOB's elevator complaints and DIFTA's uh senior services.

Right now, 146 chronic offender buildings sit within a quarter mile of a DIFTA funded NORC site, 33 of which are single elevator buildings, and the coordinators have no way to know about it.

When a building triggers that threshold, the data must flow through the cabinet to trigger wellness checks and enforcement.

Introduction 657, the Safe for Homes Act would authorize seizure of the worst offenders.

None of these tools would work without it.

Our city deserves uh our seniors deserve a city that coordinates its data as well as it coordinates its care.

Thank you.

Oh, there you go.

Much better.

Um for the past 20 years, I've been the CEO of the YWCA Brooklyn.

Uh I'm I'm also a long-time Sunset Park resident.

Um, I'd like to thank Councilmember Zhuang for uh the opportunity to testify today.

The YWCA in Brooklyn is a long-standing grassroots community-based nonprofit committed to supporting city's most vulnerable citizens.

We serve constituents from all five boroughs through our affordable housing, which has over 300 formerly homeless, low-income residents, 90% of whom struggle with mental illness, and 160 of whom are seniors aging in place, which is why I'm here today.

Most of our for most of our older residents, the YWC is the first safe and nurturing home they've ever had.

And they understandably don't want to leave.

Uh their community, don't want to lose their community as they age.

But we're not funded through supportive housing.

So we have no dedicated services, and we recognize that many of our seniors needed additional support to continue living independently.

Last year, for the very first time, we received an allocation from the council specifically for our seniors.

We hired case managers and independent living advocates who work more intensely with our vulnerable older residents, supporting them with daily activities such as shopping, appointments, medical transport, daily benefits, food security, management of chronic illnesses, and yes, securing adaptive equipment.

But much of our focus has had to be on persistently advocating for our residents with city services, whose very purpose is to support its most vulnerable citizens.

I think I gave you my second page.

We don't have the time here to discuss how challenging and frustrating this aspect of our work.

I'm almost done in particular has been.

But suffice to say, we have a whole new appreciation for how disdainfully and dismissively older people are treated when they are simply trying to access the services they're entitled to.

Even for our staff, some of these systems are near impossible to navigate.

Of the 1.4 million older adults in New York City, it's estimated that 30% live alone.

Services could be coordinated or linked to make them more accessible and the process less dehumanizing.

So why not make it easier for those who want to age in place?

With only a little additional support, our residents not only remained stably housed, not only survived, but definitively thrived, aging independently, joyfully with dignity in a community of their peers.

I do hope the committee uh can address some of these disparities.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you for your testimony.

I just have a question.

Do you support Intro 230?

Yes, I do.

Okay.

And also I I love this form you made.

I think it's very helpful.

Is all the old work or it's just from bronze?

So the table that's there has uh there is a mistake on it.

There are 33 buildings in New York City that are classified as a chronic offender on my platform and are within uh one quarter mile of a NORC site and are serviced by only one elevator.

Um, so I need to add one more building to complete the set of 33, but yes.

Okay.

Can you send me more information about this?

I love this chart, and I think that this is the prevention work we can do before the elevator breakdown, right?

Absolutely, that's the whole goal.

Yeah, and I will certainly um send you more information.

Yeah, thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you both.

Thank you.

Do we have anyone in this room who want to testify?

Okay, no one.

We will now move to virtual testimony.

Please wait for your name to be called to testify, and then please select on mute when you prompt it.

The first person is Christal Kristen.

Kristen McMenes.

Your time has begun.

Thank you.

Good afternoon.

Uh, and thank you for the opportunity to testify.

I'm Krista McManus.

I'm the director of government affairs and advocacy for AERP New York.

Uh, we are a social mission organization with around 750,000 members in New York City.

Um, the older adult population in New York City is growing, and unfortunately, they are increasingly living in poverty.

Uh, and this I think impacts a lot of this interagency coordination in ensuring that older adults have access to the services and supports for which they are eligible.

In the interest of time, I just want to say that we echo the comments that were made by LIVE on regarding the older adult cabinet and the need for transparency and opening it up to outside groups.

Um, but I do want to take a moment to highlight how silos in city government can make it much more difficult for older adults to access the services and supports that they need.

One of our recommendations is also a deputy mayor who can collaborate across agencies and ensure that older adult issues are prioritized within each department.

Uh similarly, we were heartened to see that the governor in her city of the state proposed a one-stop shop for older adults to access benefits, and we encourage uh DIFTA and the City Council to work with the state to make sure that New York City residents and all of the programs that they may be eligible for are incorporated into this analysis and into this one-stop shop benefits program.

Um, and all of this coordination is great, but we also need to make sure that these services are appropriately funded.

So I'll just bring up as I know that the city council is also considering the budget, uh, that we are strongly advocating for an additional $30 million investment to ensure that older adults have access to home delivered meals every single day of the week.

Right now, they're only guaranteed to have five day a week meals.

Um, and thank you again for the opportunity to testify.

Thank you.

The next person is Romana Ferreira.

Hi, everyone.

My name is Guatuque Ine Naru.

My colonial name is Ramona Ferreira, and I am the founder of Safe Section 9 and a tenant at Mitchell Houses in the South Bronx.

Um, Safe Section 9 is a tenant-led coalition that works to educate and activate public housing tenants.

We tackle policies rooted in colonialism that have led to discriminatory disinvestment in America's only truly affordable housing stock.

I am testifying today on behalf of our members and neighbors throughout public housing, many of them which are seniors.

We are encouraged by the attention being paid to interagency coordination for older adults, and we support the introduction and the resolution on today's agenda.

We also want this committee and the council to recognize that interagency coordination will not address the failures within NYCHA.

NYCHA's increased dependence on privatization via PACT and NYCHA's refusal to develop a new organizational plan adversely impacts our elders.

You should know that Zoran's proposed budget for public housing will invest one billion dollars towards the capital repairs necessary to privatize NYCHA developments across the city.

They will not improve the quality of life for the tenants that are fighting against privatization.

This should alarm you.

It is the largest transfer of public monies and assets in recent history, and it will destroy the only truly affordable housing we have in New York City.

This committee should recognize that Section 9 public housing is one of New York City's most important aging in place programs.

Public housing developments are not simply buildings, they are communities where older adults access senior centers, meal programs, social services, resident associations, health and wellness activities, and support networks that allow them to remain independent as they age.

Section 9 provides dedicated funding streams and community-based infrastructure that helps seniors avoid unnecessary institutionalization, isolation, displacement, and homelessness.

This responsibility is especially urgent given the growing housing crisis.

Could I have a couple more seconds to provide our thing?

It is also important to note that NYCHA is targeting senior developments with PAC privatization.

These seniors are not informed on the dangers that PAC presents.

The PAC impact studies that have been conducted up to this point have proven that PAC doubles evictions, increases rents, and undermines tenant rights.

We urge you to shift all funding away from PAC and towards Section 9 comprehensive modernization.

We also ask that you support council member banks in instituting a moratorium on PAC, pending an impact study.

We are working towards that same goal at the federal level.

We would love to work with the Committee on the Aging and other stakeholders to shape the metrics that would tell us how RAD or PAC have impacted seniors.

And finally, if there are NITSE sites in your districts that are targeted for privatization, Safe Section 9 is available to host meetings or bingo hours focused on educating the community on the risk of privatization.

Thank you.

Thank you.

The other good news we'll have um hearing with council member banks in the near future about this topic.

Okay.

Sorry.

Next one is Germano Tucson.

Thank you to everyone who testified today.

If there's anyone present in the room or on Zoom, has not been had the opportunity to testify, please raise your hand.

See no one else.

May be submitted to record up to 72 hours after closing of this hearing by email it to testimony at council.gov.

To conclude, I'm grateful to all who have attended today's hearing to offer testimony.

Thank you all so much for work you do, and then thank you to my staff for your work in preparing for this hearing.

With that, this hearing is now adjourned.