Interagency Coordination for Older Adults

(00:00:01)

Thank you. 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 sign up with one of the sergeants at arms in the back of the room, even if you signed up already online. At this time, please silence all electronic devices. No one should approach the dais at any time during this hearing. We are ready to begin. Thank you.

(00:00:39)

Good morning, everyone. I am CM 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 pictures from our older adult centers, and I will just say we are hoping to win the championship for our seniors today.

New York City's older adults rely on a broad network of programs and services to remain healthy, safe and connected in their communities. New York City Aging plays a critical role in delivering many of those essential services. At the same time, older adults often interact with multiple City agencies responsible for housing, health care, transportation, access to food, emergency response and other services. It is important for agencies to collaborate effectively so older adults can access the services they need without unnecessary barriers or confusion.

Today's hearing is an opportunity to examine how City agencies are coordinating to meet the needs of New York City's aging population. We will hear testimony from New York City Aging regarding its efforts to strengthen interagency coordination and improve service delivery for older New Yorkers. We are interested in learning more about the Cabinet for Older Adults and how it brings agencies together collaboratively across government.

We will also be hearing two pieces of legislation. The first is Int 0230-2026, sponsored by CM Zhuang. It would require Aging to cooperate with the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities to administer a financial assistance program for older adults and individuals with disabilities. This financial assistance covers goods and services used to install in-home preventive adaptations. The second is Res 0373-2026, sponsored by CM Won. This resolution calls on the New York State Legislature to pass, and the Governor to sign, S.1179 and A.1499, which would provide long term care benefits for eligible residents.

It is important that older New Yorkers are provided the support they need, and let us not forget that support requires broad interagency coordination. I want to thank both sponsors for their hard work on these issues. Thank you to my colleagues for joining me today. Thank you to New York City Aging for testifying. Thank you to Committee staff, Legislative Counsel Hana Calm and Policy Analyst Joshua Human, for their work in preparing this meeting. I would like to thank my staff for their work as we continue to serve our community, constituents and the City as a whole.

I would like to recognize that we are joined by CM Aldebol and CM Brewer. I will now pass the microphone to CM Zhuang to give a statement on her legislation. Thank you so much.

(00:04:45)

Thank you, Chair. Good morning. There are currently 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 an older adult who lived alone. 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.

(00:06:57)

Well, good morning, Chair Zhuang and members of the New York City Council Committee on Aging. I am Dr. Lisa Scott-McKenzie, Commissioner of the New York City Department for the Aging, and I am 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 of 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 communications silos that prevent New York City from becoming truly age inclusive. We largely do this work through budget neutral approaches made possible by innovative agency collaborations. In my time as Commissioner, I have been devoted to understanding the meat and potatoes issues which older New Yorkers experience. The reality is that too many older New Yorkers have a housing concern, are experiencing food insecurity, need help during a weather...

(00:09:38)

...emergency, or are adjusting to returning to the workforce. The Cabinet for Older New Yorkers raises these and other issues as City concerns, not necessarily as older adults' or New York City Aging's concerns.

When the concept of age friendly environments was first developed nearly 15 years ago, different levels of government and community organizations first explored the idea that aging 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 between agencies as needs were identified. While this was a necessary first step, the gaps which remained and the 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 collaborative task forces have seen on domestic violence and children's welfare issues 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 21, 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 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 legislation 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 members as outlined in the local law, including the Department of Transportation, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Health + Hospitals, the Police Department, Department of Parks and Recreation and Housing 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 impact 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. Participating teachers and administrators were recognized and schools received awards as Anti-Ageism Champions and Anti-Ageism Innovators. In addition, the New York City Public School system's Service in Schools Action Team held its annual celebration of service, which highlighted incorporating anti-ageism 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 learned 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 participating in nine 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 Culture 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 + Hospitals frontline professionals were trained on community based aging services to support older adult patients and caregivers. The Cabinet promotes age inclusive pedestrian planning. Walkability audits with older adults were 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 in Local Law 64 and supported by the Mayor, the Cabinet is able to address problems in a timely way for the City and improve the lives of older adults. The Cabinet is not a think tank or study-producing entity, nor is the 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 in a commitment to achieving an elevated standard of being an age inclusive city.

It is not enough that cities be age friendly. 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 inclusivity across a broad spectrum of needs for older adults, following the...

(00:18:02)

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 nineteen cities that formed 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 have an older adult population of approximately 20% or more.

As far as 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 Speaker Menin 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, produced 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 advances the work of City agencies within the aging framework, the Age Friendly New York City Commission concurrently serves as the primary body for 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 in Q3 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 a participatory budgeting process. This 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 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 it is no less an important interagency collaboration.

I also recognize that as part of today's hearing, the Committee on Aging is hearing Int 0230-2026. This Bill will 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 occupational therapists 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 seen increased interest in the short time it has been functioning. We look forward to working with the Council on this piece of legislation as we further discuss potential implementation.

Overall, let me close by saying how thrilled I am to be here today with you to talk about our proactive, upstream solutions for downstream issues. While we continue to do extensive work to ensure older adults can access our programs 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 in various services to older adults today and in the future. Thank you, and thank 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.

(00:24:11)

Commissioner, we have just been joined by CM Zhuang. We are guests, you can ask questions. She had another testimony. I think you can go ahead and ask. Okay.

So this month is Pride Month, so I would like to start by asking questions about the seniors LGBTQ+ community. New York City Aging was required by Local Law 170 of 2023 to establish a commission for LGBTQ+ older adults. Can the agency please provide an update on the implementation of this local law?

(00:25:39)

You know, we are 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 aligned with the Council that LGBTIA+ 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 12 and members 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.

(00:26:39)

So far they have no reports there, right? They are reviewing the draft and the report will be ready soon. The meeting was on May 12. Okay. Can the agency describe what work of the Commission will be? Does the agency envision any projects materializing from the Commission's work?

(00:27:04)

Well, obviously there is a lot of work to be done by this Commission. We are emphasizing that we are able to have 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 is no detailed information so far, right? Well, the detail is that we need to have the additional members seated, so we...

(00:27:27)

...absolutely welcome any suggestions for additional members. If you have them today we will take them. If not, you can pass them on after this meeting and we will be ready. Okay. And are there major policy issues the agency plans to address? Because this law has been in place since 2023.

(00:27:45)

Right. It has been more than two years. We have not heard anything basically for our LGBT community. We would like to hear more about the issues and policies you are trying to address and definitely more detailed information, because the LGBTQ community needs it, especially for older adults. They are struggling. They even have to travel an hour and a half to go to an adult center, I mean, a senior center.

(00:28:23)

So it is very difficult for this group of people. I think New York City Aging should be doing better with our older adults, especially for this community, and this month is Pride Month. We should honor that agenda also. So we would like to see more information on this topic and to serve this group of people and also make sure their needs are being addressed.

(00:28:52)

Absolutely. We are aligned and I should preface my statement by saying happy Pride. But definitely we do feel that there is more work to be done. I know that there has been a gap previously. I can only speak for the last three months, but moving forward we certainly will have a focus on the LGBTIA+...

(00:29:13)

...community, as we do recognize the challenges. As you know, I am out in the communities and on the front lines, along with many of our older adults, and many are included in the community and they have mentioned to me some of the concerns that they have. Definitely we take them to heart. So you will see a lot more work going forward. I welcome you again as partners at the table. We do need more members, so join us and definitely let us work together.

And also there is a big ask from our Pride community and they do mention to me about senior mental health. So will this committee have people address this issue?

(00:30:02)

Absolutely. As you know, geriatric mental health and any mental health concerns that our older adults have have always been the focal point for New York City Aging. So definitely it is an area that we need to explore. Thank you. And let us go...

(00:30:14)

...back to the interagency coordination questions. The first one: New York City Aging provides many services but older adults have needs that fall outside of City government to address, such as housing instability, food security, transportation and also economic insecurity. I know you addressed some of this in your statement, but the issue here is that older adults are a really vulnerable population. I know there are a lot of them who come to my office. When they come, they do not know which agency they are supposed to go to and they always think they belong to Aging, that is it. Even if they have a food stamp issue or a housing issue, they come to us and then they say, "Oh, Aging did not do this." But I know it is not your agency's issue only. So is there any way we can collaborate between agencies to give seniors a one-stop shop, basically?

(00:31:31)

Absolutely. Thank you for acknowledging that New York City seniors know that we accept them and they belong to us. Definitely, in addition to collaborating with state agencies and other agencies, we do have our Aging Connect system. One of the items that I have shared with many of the older adults in my 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 and other services as needed. It is not just a "call this phone number" type of thing. There is a warm handoff between agencies so that they really have that vital connection that they need to resolve their issues.

(00:32:16)

If I am a senior and I have an issue with food stamps and I come to Aging, I call the number and then someone says, "Hey, this is not my issue, this is another agency's issue." Very often they tell me they get kicked from different departments. Every time they say, "Oh, it is not our issue." They are kicking the ball between City agencies. This is a very real issue. It is not just an Aging issue. I know this is not Aging alone, but we definitely need members who are really able to...

(00:32:57)

...talk to them and tell them which department to go to and have a human voice able to talk to them. Absolutely. I am not sure where the person you are mentioning has called, but I would say direct them to our Aging Connect. As I mentioned, it is a warm handoff. It is 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. Obviously it is open Monday through Friday, 9 to 5, so there are phone calls that can be made. There is the opportunity to leave a message if we need to get back to them, but it is really a coordinated effort where you do have a human being on the other end of the line that can assist with...

(00:33:49)

...concerns. When a contracted provider flags a concern for Aging that falls outside of what is the agency's scope, how does Aging elevate these concerns to relevant City agencies and make sure the concerns are addressed? 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 is trending, let us say something that we are noticing a pattern across, that goes up to the Commissioner level and issues like that can be addressed by the Cabinet for Older New Yorkers as well as the strong partnerships that the Commissioners throughout the administration have. Is there any way you are able to...

(00:34:38)

...make sure that older adults do not fall through the cracks when they require assistance from multiple agencies? Well, absolutely. We do our best to capture everyone. We serve as a safety net, as you know. If you have any specific examples of folks that you feel have fallen through the cracks...

(00:35:00)

...please share them. You know, we prefer to have all of the information in front of us. We do our best to be transparent about 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 would be the senior center buildings. Absolutely. A lot of the time it is not fixed. Also, if they are lacking access to other centers, this is definitely an interagency issue. It is not just an Aging issue. It is a NYCHA issue and also it is always...

(00:35:38)

...a related issue. So this type of issue comes up very often and I have been hearing this type of question even this morning while walking around. So it is definitely an interagency issue. If we can push together, we do the best for our seniors. Absolutely. As you know, we have partners. You and I have gone out to the centers together. Yes. So I always welcome the advocacy and support of the Council. But I will say, on NYCHA, we have been meeting with them separately in relation to the issues that we find at the senior centers. As you know, it is a third of our portfolio. One of the concerns, as you mentioned, is that if we do find that safety has been compromised, yes, we will move our seniors because...

(00:36:27)

...our first commitment is to keep them safe. Once those issues have been resolved, we can always go back to the site. But I think it would be horrendous for us to leave them in those conditions if we knew about it. But I am encouraged by what I am seeing. As you know, I mentioned during the last hearing that...

(00:36:44)

...as we are 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. Out of those issues that we have...

(00:36:57)

...identified, we are now at a 72% completion rate. In fact, I am noticing that the photos that are up today were the same photos that were up last time and I am encouraged by the fact that there are no new findings. But you two have new photos, which further strengthens the fact that we are being effective and we are getting the job done.

(00:37:24)

And then as you said, you try to fix the issue. Do we have, in our interagency work, an issue that is another step? Because once the issue comes, we have to move seniors to different centers. I think that is a little too late. Well, you cannot totally prevent infrastructure issues. It could happen here today in this very room that we are in. Those types of things are unpredictable. But you can have a strong preventive maintenance program, which I believe NYCHA is working towards. In many instances they have come in, even if we have not identified something right away. They have come in swiftly and resolved the issue. You cannot totally prevent it, but you can certainly make sure that you are maintaining safe, functional and attractive environments for our older New Yorkers. And definitely please advocate for our seniors to get more funding in the budget, because otherwise even if we want to do it, we do not have the money, right? And also we have other Council members asking questions. CM Hudson.

(00:38:40)

Thank you so much. I am actually going to ask a question on behalf of CM Aldebol, and she has a question about homelessness among older adults, 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 is much harder for seniors to navigate the shelter system. How are you coordinating to ensure that homeless older adults are provided shelter that provides the services that are specific to older adults?

(00:39:13)

And we are partnering with other agencies too to shine a light on the older adults that are in shelter. Obviously it is a major priority for us to make sure that they get into affordable housing. We have been privileged over the last week or so to some dynamic partnerships between some of our program providers that have allowed for new housing for seniors specifically, and we are pushing for more of that. This is one of the issues that we could highlight at our June 25 meeting for the Cabinet for Older New Yorkers, because certainly this is a priority area. As I have mentioned before, we are looking at the meat and potatoes issues that affect all New Yorkers, including food insecurity, affordable housing, access to quality health care and safety. So definitely it is a priority for us. Thank you.

(00:40:09)

Thank you, Chair.

(00:40:13)

We have CM Brewer.

(00:40:17)

Thank you very much. So I was around when Age Friendly started with New York City with Bloomberg and Quinn. So my question is two questions. One is, I think what that program focuses on are, you know, things that are tangible that people can see. We have spent hours trying to figure out what does aging in place, meaning in a neighborhood, what does that mean? It means benches. It means grocery stores that sell small packets. It means safety, all that kind of thing. So is that still what the program that you talked about is working on? So what are you working on versus what are they working on? For example, what they need to do would be even at the recreation centers. Years ago, Bloomberg allowed hours for swimming for all the residents, and then de Blasio messed it up. So you know, that would be an example to bring it back. Somebody should do that.

And then also just benches, benches, benches, benches. I just got like 50, but we need more. I mean, benches are needed everywhere. That would be tangible, you can see it, et cetera. 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 is working on hoarding, who is working on home health care, who is working on...how does that all

(00:41:34)

get divided up? Well, it depends on where the issue falls. As we mentioned, the four focal areas that we are looking at. But 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 several other agencies. The Cabinet for Older Adults, though, is not focusing on issues like that. Those types of issues are more appropriate for the Age Friendly... yes, the Age Friendly, which you all can be members of. We have an extremely large tent and we are 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 am most encouraged by is what I am hearing from everyday New Yorkers at the centers, at meetings, 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 programs that we have.

(00:42:40)

The Cabinet for Older New Yorkers was for long term, high level issues that will stick around for generations. The changes that we make will be lasting for several years. Are you building on what Age Friendly has done in the past? Because they have done not only what Ruth Finkelstein and others did, not only the benches and the swimming, but some of the systemic ideas. So I just do not want to go through the same process that I did as one of the founders of Age Friendly. No one wants to start from the beginning. Obviously, you know, if the wheel is already built, we are not going to build another wheel. But some of those foundational issues have shifted 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, which is why I invite you all to attend one of those meetings, because there are folks like you that are foundational to these issues. But there are others that have joined, maybe in recent years, that have different perspectives.

Age Friendly... one second... that are valuable to us being able to get to a resolution. Okay, so the Age Friendly is open, but your other group is not open. Is that how it works? I just want to understand.

(00:43:54)

Well, as codified in law, there are very specific requirements for who is going to be on that committee. So we always comply with the law.

(00:44:02)

But it is not open meetings law, as far as you know. If it is not open meetings law, it is not open. Okay. Thank you.

(00:44:16)

Okay, CM Mealy.

(00:44:21)

Thank you, Chair. I just have a few questions. Just to think about it, you said even when you give the agency money, things still do not go right. And I am asking, when New York City Aging receives feedback about Access-A-Ride, how does it communicate that back to the MTA? Because I have seen Access-A-Ride called out, but it is getting better. So how are you coordinating with them now?

(00:44:57)

We were actually talking about Access-A-Ride yesterday because it is one of those trending areas that I mentioned, and we are hearing some of the stressors from our older New Yorkers. So we have been escalating some of these issues, but it is certainly an area where we will be seeking some stronger collaboration and support. From the New York City Aging standpoint, I am sure you are aware by now that we have an RFP for transportation that will be submitted later on in the year to address some of the again meat and potatoes issues of transportation to

(00:45:34)

relieve some of the stress from our older New Yorkers.

(00:45:39)

How do you all coordinate with the MTA?

(00:45:46)

The issues our older adults face would be escalated through our state partners, and we do coordinate with them and escalate issues to them. On the other hand, it is a member agency, and I would like to ask our Assistant Commissioner to speak about some of the issues and some of the improvements that we have made over time.

(00:46:07)

I would be happy to, and I do want to talk about the design as well.

(00:46:12)

Sure. Janine Vento is our Assistant Commissioner for Interagency Collaboration at Aging, a member of the Cabinet, and as CM Brewer is aware, they have also been involved in the early Age Friendly initiative since 2010. But similar to that in the beginning, there have always been obviously intersections that have been a point of concentration, especially in terms of reviewing data related to pedestrian injuries or fatalities, and even in light of the 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 is a leading pedestrian interval or other devices to make crossing intersections safer, what they have done in addition to targeting these areas for street improvement projects is actually do community engagement. That is the part that came out through the Cabinet, that it is 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, who have insight about these neighborhoods that others might not have just from data analysis.

So as the Commissioner mentioned in her testimony, in 30 communities so far they engage older adult center members directly to hold walkability audits, where people walk through those 30 communities and all public spaces and public areas that they walk, and then they basically audit them. You know, the light changes too fast, we could add more time to it, this could have a barrier of some sort that makes it safer to cross. They take that feedback and they actually do a follow-up audit after the street improvement project has happened, to also reengage and get an assessment of the impact of the street improvement project with the older adults that they originally engaged.

(00:48:06)

One last question, Commissioner. You know, we have gotten extra funding and the thing is they want to stay active as much as possible, and I feel my mission is to give the community more than what they ever expected. In the last couple of months, we have said that the seniors asked me for equipment to exercise and we gave the money for it. Now the seniors are calling my office saying they have taken away the water, they have taken away things, and they have old equipment, which I thought we were getting brand new equipment. I sent to the finance office a little video of the equipment, and oh, they did not wipe it off before they dropped it off at the senior center. So it is kind of disheartening to me because we are trying to get our seniors active, keeping them engaged, and if they ask me for exercise equipment, we should be giving them good new exercise equipment. So I hope going forward we really assess anything that anyone gives out to our seniors. Our seniors do not deserve leftovers, they deserve the best, and I am going to keep talking about it as much as possible because it is sad how we are treating the seniors at Mount

(00:49:35)

Ararat right now. They do not have water to drink because Fort Greene Council took the water machine. They took their... it is sad. And if that were the case, I would go with you right after this meeting. But I think that there is some confusion there. A few things occurred. As you know, we have been in very close contact, we have met, we both had all of our teams together on this. The first thing that happened is obviously there was a separation between Fort Greene Council and Mount Ararat. So we have somebody else now, thank God. That is wonderful news. So as Fort Greene closed out, they were returning the items that belong to Mount Ararat. So the older items that you are talking about, the new items, as we mentioned after the last hearing, you and I had a conversation. I mentioned that the new equipment has been ordered. I am hopeful that 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 am sure that our Finance Director, our Chief Financial Officer, who is now our First Deputy, can also send you the information regarding the new order.

So there are two things being conflated here. So I want to open an additional conversation and a pathway for us

(00:51:02)

to solve this together, and as I said, if there is an issue like that, just make one phone call and I will be

(00:51:09)

there. Thank you. You have been really excellent. Thank you. Thank you.

(00:51:17)

Thank you, Commissioner, and thank you, Milly. Now we pass the microphone to CM Zhuang. Thank you, Chair.

(00:51:28)

Good morning. Good morning. How are you doing? I am well, how are you? I am doing great. Thanks for asking. First, I agree with CM Brewer. Yes, benches. Yes, yes, yes, yes to benches. I want to ask about immigration and housing. Does the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs sit on the Cabinet?

(00:51:58)

Yes, they do. How many

(00:52:02)

in-person "know your rights" seminars has DFTA conducted at senior centers in the past and the current fiscal year?

(00:52:14)

Good morning. So the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs is also a member. They actually do "know your rights" trainings, now called immigrant rights workshops, at older adult centers. But while they are a Cabinet member, it is not necessarily a Cabinet initiative. As we mentioned, there are interagency collaborations that they can leverage through our existing network to provide the services that they already provide, so we can bring that information to

(00:52:37)

you in terms of the "know your rights" trainings that are conducted at older adult centers. In addition, if you can get the number of the seminars done and the webinars

(00:52:46)

done... I mean, immigration is

(00:52:47)

something that hits all of our communities, and that includes our older adults. So you do not conduct it, MOIA comes in separately, and that is not discussed at the Cabinet. Can you explain that?

(00:53:00)

Again, so in terms of leveraging our provider network, as you know, we are funding our service network providers who can independently decide what happens in each older adult center. So we have had conversations with MOIA in terms of zip codes or areas where they would like to focus. What we have done is we have connected them to our service provider network, and for example, the older adult center director will be the ones to work directly with MOIA to coordinate and implement the "know your rights" trainings. But we can get you

(00:53:31)

that. Yes, if you can get that. And secondly... sorry, third, because I started with benches and immigration. Third is more benches, and then fourth is housing. We talk often about rent stabilized housing and public housing. Mitchell-Lama housing is not spoken about typically as much. I think it is like 44,000 Mitchell-Lama units, with disproportionately more older adults living in Mitchell-Lama housing. I passed Local Law 44 of 2024, which requires HPD, who sits on the Cabinet, to send pre-filled SCRIE applications to older adults living in Mitchell-Lama residences based on their income affidavits, which are required to be filled out every year. Has this law, or has Mitchell-Lama housing at all, come up during your Cabinet

(00:54:22)

meetings? So we have not spoken about Mitchell-Lama exclusively. I think what we have talked about is really their SARA program and other innovations that they have been doing. But we can... okay,

(00:54:33)

I have to insist that this come up during your Cabinet meeting, because there is more to housing seniors than building new housing. There is more to housing seniors than NYCHA. NYCHA is included, but preserving existing affordable programs and our Mitchell-Lama housing stock is under duress right now. It is the way so many of our older adults are living affordably in New York City. We in the Council unanimously passed a Bill to make it easier for older adults to live affordably in New York City if they live in Mitchell-Lama. These pre-filled SCRIE applications... it is unclear whether HPD is complying with the law. So it is critical that this be raised during your Cabinet meetings, because you have your Cabinet meetings to ensure that all agencies... it is an all hands on deck moment to ensure that our older adults get the support they need. This is a critical tool to make sure they are living affordably in our City and staying in their homes. So Local Law 44 of 2024

(00:55:36)

and thank you so much for that. As Chair of the Committee and also as the Commissioner, definitely this is an area I would like us to have on the agenda for the next meeting on June 25.

(00:55:47)

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

(00:55:52)

I appreciate that. I am glad it is going to be on your agenda for June 25. Thank you very much. Thank you.

(00:55:59)

Thank you, Commissioner, and thank you. I also find the example of the NYCHA issue voices... so always when a senior center is located in a NYCHA facility, it requires close cooperation to make repairs. We do not know that. And there has been a closing of a Latin... a senior center at a NYCHA housing facility in Congress Member Gray's district.

(00:56:35)

The roof is leaking and this issue has been reported since 2025. This issue highlights the need to improve interagency coordination for older adults in New York City. This type of situation has now gotten to the point where they have to move the center to another center. I know it is not your issue from 2025. This type of issue happened... what did our Cabinet do then? What is our interagency supposed to do? I want to know more details about this.

(00:57:13)

Not being retroactive but being proactive and future focused... I cannot speak to what happened in 2025, but I can tell you what happened during my tenure. What we did was we went over and we assessed the conditions there, and they were suboptimal for our seniors. That is the reason why we made the decision to close that center while the repairs are being effectuated, so that we do not further compromise any of our seniors. I understand that we would prefer to prevent an issue like that, but we were in the moment and the emergency was at hand, so a 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. As I mentioned earlier, we have a 72% completion rate, which for me is a huge improvement over what we have seen in the past, but it is not nearly enough. We know more work needs to be done and we are prepared to do the

(00:58:21)

work. For this, what is the timeline? I do not 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 online. On the other side, the seniors are calling my office saying it is too crowded. I am sensing that any way we can push all the renovation, repair and... all the time.

(00:58:58)

Licensing permits faster with the interagency relationship. It takes two to three months to get a license and then another agency takes another two to three months to get a license. If we can help with this, it is always in the nature of this to move the relationship, move everything past. But we certainly use our relationship to assist in ensuring that we have a safe location, so sometimes it may not be possible to expedite because there may be a concern that needs to be addressed. It is not just issuing the permit, it is actually ensuring that we have a safe site. So that is where our advocacy goes and where the relationship is leveraged so that we can ensure that our seniors are safe.

(00:59:50)

Thank you. And this is very important to a lot of seniors. Not only do seniors have to travel, but also seniors feel the spaces are too crowded right now. We also understand that contracted providers play an important role in connecting older adults with service providers across different agencies. For example, the concept paper on the caregiver program for older New Yorkers that was the agency pushed in September 2025. I know it is not your time. The agency states that staff from the caregiver program assisted with assessing benefits, counseling, training, support groups and supplemental services such as transportation, health, wellness supplies and more. We understand there were three citywide providers for the caregiver program, but now there is only one. We also know that Hampton Madison, which serves primarily aging older adults, was dropped as a City provider. How is aging ensuring that older adults are receiving the support to help connect them with services from various agencies, including Asian older adults? Are those program providers providing continuity of service and efficient language access?

(01:01:23)

Well, as we know, the process is an open competitive process, so not every vendor may be reselected for a contract. We do have provisions that ensure that whatever vendor is selected does have culturally responsive programming. So if there is some specific need, and I have heard some concerns, our team is looking at where we may be able to enhance or supplement to be sure that we are covering all of the needs for older New Yorkers. That has not been affected yet. As you know, July 1 is the date, so there is not much I can say publicly. However, I will say we are reviewing the process.

(01:02:09)

Thank you. And also just for your background, New York City has 18% Asian and that number is growing, particularly for the Chinese-speaking and the Pakistani community. A lot of times because of the circle they are living in, they do not feel comfortable when the service suddenly changes, so they are calling my office saying we do not want this, we do not want that. I understand that it is a process, but these are the people I serve. My point is I want to see the agency also provide services where they are, so we can really make them comfortable. A lot of times it is not just about having the language spoken, it is how they feel comfortable. They like to have people from their circle to serve them, who know their culture, not only just the language. So this is something I have suggested before and I am saying it again. Please reconsider that. I just want to make one comment on that again. The program has not gone into effect yet, so I would question...

(01:03:31)

Whether folks can feel comfortable yet because they have not tried the service. I would say before we make the determination that the new contractor does not meet the needs, try the service first and then let us have a

(01:03:43)

real cogent discussion about how they feel about it after they have tried it for 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 when we become older we do not want to see a lot of change in our lives because we cannot keep up with the speed. So I want seniors to not only just feel safe, but to feel comfortable also.

(01:04:12)

My next question: does aging collaborate with other agencies on reporting requirements?

(01:04:19)

You have collaborating that is not required by local law. So what you are reporting is more comprehensive. If not, could aging be willing to do so? Does aging think

(01:04:30)

it will be helpful? Well, I will say one of the strengths of this administration is that there are strong interagency collaborations and obviously New York City Aging is part of that. Yes, we do collaborate whether or not the law requires us to do so, because we feel we have a stronger, more effective resolution when we collaborate.

(01:04:59)

Thank you. And regarding the Cabinet for Older New Yorkers, if I need to contact an agency representative on the Cabinet for Older New Yorkers, who

(01:05:06)

should I contact? Well, good news for you. It is me, because obviously the Cabinet for Older New Yorkers is the responsibility of the chair, along with all of the 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, which is for higher level, long term, sustainable change. So if it is a constituent matter, that would be better handled by one of the intergovernmental liaisons or one of the issue leads so that we could find out which bucket it belongs in.

(01:05:46)

So last hearing we requested a list of interagency cabinet agencies. Will we receive a list of commissioners' names? Yes, it is great. I can find that information myself online also. But for some seniors they like to have an actual person, not just be sent to a website.

(01:06:18)

We would like to have a list, not just commissioners' names. I want whoever we can call to answer our phone calls and emails. I wanted a list like that, not just a list of commissioners' names. We know what the cabinet agencies are, which agencies they are, but we need to have a person. For instance, for aging, I cannot call the commissioner all the time for some issues. Someone, your assistant, can help us to address them. Are we able to designate one person from each agency to address this? So we do have people designated by agency, but I think there is some conflating of two issues, so I just want to be clear because I do not want to answer the wrong question. For larger issues that are systemic, those are the types of issues that the cabinet would deal with, and that is the reason I think the request was for the members of the Cabinet for Older New Yorkers. That is 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 is where intergovernmental relations would come into play. So maybe I am missing something. I think 90% of the questions and most of the issues we see are intergovernmental relations matters. A person there will be easier to talk with. We do not want to...

(01:07:57)

Oh wow. Well, constituents have a full-staff issue. Commissioner, can you address this issue? This is not proper. We want someone able to, say, for the Department of Buildings, if someone needed to expedite a permit, who they can call. So do you want 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

(01:08:30)

think our office can assist.

(01:08:33)

Yeah, and they also like to say it is not always about anything. They can call those people, not always call the commissioner. Well, if there is an issue...

(01:08:46)

Yeah, they should be calling me. But if there is something else in the community that needs to be addressed, we are happy to share a list of intergovernmental liaisons.

(01:08:58)

And that is what you need. Yeah, and that is what you see. Before we had the question about aging, it is from 2025. The issue is not about when you are the commissioner. Probably you want to do, and I believe you do, much better. But the issue is when the commissioner changes administration. We want to still have the best-named person there to help address this type of issue. Because yes, reaching out to the commissioner directly will be nice, but sometimes when the administration changes we do not want to have a gap. For 14 years there has been a gap between administrations. They have service gaps too, so that is what people worry

(01:09:47)

about. Yeah, and thank you for sharing that concern. But those liaisons are still there, much like much of the leadership. Obviously there was an administration change and there were people that changed. Some of the liaisons changed for various reasons throughout the year, but that particular post is always there. Someone is assigned to it and we will give you the most recent listing of intergovernmental liaisons. So if that is what you need, we will give you that. However, understanding that folks have the right to change jobs or retire and all those things, we will give you what we have. Yeah.

(01:10:22)

If DFTA can provide that not only to my office but also to the providers, because they sometimes need help so they can address that issue faster, that is my ask.

(01:10:37)

Okay, we will review it with our leadership because as you know I do meet with all of the program directors, and I have not heard this concern from any of them. But if it exists, we will address

(01:10:49)

it. And the second question: how are the agency representatives of the cabinet

(01:10:57)

selected? Well, it is selected again per the law. There are a number of agencies that were noted in the law and we have expanded on that based on the needs of older New Yorkers. So where we find that we need to invite another agency to attend, or if there is an agency that is interested in attending, they will be invited as well.

(01:11:20)

How does the cabinet set its own agenda? Well,

(01:11:25)

thankfully the Council has helped us to shape the agenda for the next meeting by sharing some of your concerns. Obviously we have higher level concerns that come from the commissioners and from the agency heads, and also as I mentioned earlier, trends and patterns that we are picking up as we are out in the community and interacting with older New Yorkers.

(01:11:46)

Are there any priorities for this year and the next year? Yes,

(01:11:49)

the four focal areas that I mentioned earlier: food insecurity, affordable housing, access to quality health care and safety. How does the cabinet solicit input from other advocates, community based organizations and service providers for its reports, agenda and the broader coordination with other agencies?

(01:12:14)

Please explain how you are receiving and integrating that.

(01:12:19)

We meet regularly with program directors, with nonprofits, with philanthropies, with older adult bodies throughout the City to gather feedback and hear their perspectives, needs and concerns. So all of those are taken into account as we look at cabinet issues. Again, these are higher level types of issues that New York City Aging addresses either through our collaboration with other agencies, collaboration with the Council or other entities. How could you

(01:12:56)

be open to having providers represented in cabinet meetings?

(01:13:01)

Well, that is 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 and Age Inclusive Group. We would like to have them there or at any of our other forums where they can

(01:13:20)

share information. Could you be open to creating a formal pathway for providers to contribute to the cabinet's work? Well, I believe that they do, and my assistant commissioner would like to mention an item. But I believe that they already do, and again we will talk about some of the other formal structures we have.

(01:13:40)

So in addition to the Age Friendly Commission, where there are providers who have been serving, there is a longstanding formation called the Advisory Council, in which obviously the Council through the borough delegations also selects representatives to serve on the Advisory Council.

(01:13:56)

So they are on the Advisory Council. I will just tell you, in terms of the timeline, the Advisory Council is one of the earliest formations that was provided pursuant to a federal law and also state law, so it is the community input portion that is part of receiving Older Americans Act funding. That was codified by the state and also codified by the Charter. Following that, the Age Friendly Commission, which was in the early 80s, was launched in 2010 and is really a public-private partnership and a multidisciplinary approach to ensuring that the City is as age friendly and 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 it was really only City agencies doing that, having that input and also collaborating and really looking at a systemic change perspective to see what we as City agencies can do better in service to older New Yorkers. It is not enough for aging to be the only agency that is focused on older New Yorkers. So the community input has always included provider representation, including SAGE, including other providers, Carter Burden, et cetera. That is really the provider space. With the establishment of each of these formations, there is rich interrelation, and especially now, given that the cabinet is the newest formation, that work is also presented in both of these other formations to seek feedback and also share inputs in terms of what a provider might see in the catchment area that they serve that the cabinet could be doing, and vice versa. So that is really the formation where providers are very active. They also provide input in the Age Friendly space, and the question of open versus closed should really leverage the existing official structure that has already long been part of the Age Friendly Commission versus the cabinet, which does not have an ex officio structure.

(01:15:53)

Because I was asking, would the agency be open to including the Department of Design and Construction in future cabinet meetings?

(01:16:02)

Absolutely. As we continue to discuss the issues that are of concern today, we may decide to add other agencies or invite them in, or they may have an interest. So we are not barring any agency from joining us in the effort.

(01:16:19)

Are there any agencies or entities that could be added to the cabinet to work because they impact older New Yorkers? Absolutely, that

(01:16:29)

would be the reason for them to be added to the cabinet: that there are issues or trends or patterns that warrant them being at the table.

(01:16:41)

Have all required members of the cabinet come to meetings? I will find out on the 25th

(01:16:48)

for my first meeting. But as you know, we send as part of our annual plan and annual report the committee attendance as well as the issues and initiatives that were discussed at the meetings.

(01:17:03)

Which agencies have been most active in participating in the cabinet's work? I may accept a list

(01:17:14)

up. Well, I do not want to pick one agency against the other. I think they all contribute in various ways and whatever the contribution, it is valuable because it moves us towards that target of having our older New Yorkers age in place with dignity. So I would say all of our members are active and participating.

(01:17:41)

The law allows the commissioner to invite federal, state and other entities to participate in the cabinet, not just City agencies.

(01:17:54)

Correct. Well, that is not our interpretation of it. But we do partner with our local government as well as our state government.

(01:18:06)

How does aging ensure the cabinet meetings result in action rather than just information sharing alone? Through monitoring...

(01:18:18)

To ensure that issues are progressing along, obviously the subcommittees meet 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 in work groups that continue the work and then report back. As for whether there is any major way to report to the mayor, well, I will take a look at the initiatives that will come forth on the 25th to find out if there are more metrics that we can look at to review and report.

(01:18:51)

And also, what is the metric aging will use to evaluate whether the cabinet

(01:18:57)

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

(01:19:11)

What legislative challenges could strengthen the cabinet's ability to coordinate services across agencies? Not aware of

(01:19:20)

any that would prevent us from collaborating. We fully expect to collaborate strongly with all of our City agencies.

(01:19:33)

Okay, and the next topic: housing and mental hygiene. What is the working relationship with DOHMH? Well, I

(01:19:48)

will say my fellow commissioner Dr. Martin and I have a very strong relationship and we have already partnered on some issues of interest to our older New Yorkers and we will continue that strong relationship.

(01:20:07)

Are there any collaborative projects you are doing right now?

(01:20:10)

There are some issues that we are addressing in common and we look forward to having more projects. Actually, on the cabinet, I do not know if you want to add anything? Sure.

(01:20:22)

So pursuant to Local Law 118 that was passed, which really focuses on services provided to older adults for certain identified neurological and mental health conditions. So in addition to DOHMH, we have partnered with them in really getting a survey in terms of the services that are provided and other provisions that are pursuant to that legislation. In addition to them, we have also been working with Health and Hospitals, Parks and other members of the cabinet. Also community mental health, so it is really multi-agency. Through the cabinet, DOHMH has been one of the agencies that we have been working with in response to that legislation.

(01:21:01)

We have also worked with DOHMH to address the rising rate of sexually transmitted disease issues in the older adult community.

(01:21:14)

That is a very specific issue that, from the New York City Aging standpoint, we are not healthcare providers as you know. So from our standpoint, it would be more of an education initiative. There is a framework in place right now for us to be able to provide more information in that regard, which does require us to assist.

(01:21:37)

On another note, I want to share some information. The other day I was listening to the radio on the way to City Hall, and on 1010 WINS they said New York City has become number one in the country for people carrying STIs in the United States. We have overcome and become number one over Las Vegas. So this is an issue I think we should pay more attention to.

(01:22:08)

Was Aging involved in DOHMH's STI prevention campaign last year? Yes, we were involved last year and we continue to provide additional information to older New Yorkers about this, also through SAGE.

(01:22:31)

We also address the LGBT+ community. Okay, so that is good.

(01:22:38)

Is this a topic that the cabinet has been working on for older adults? So we have not focused on this particular topic lately, but it is something that we can raise at the next meeting and, of course, with the lead agency as well.

(01:23:07)

Does Aging work with DOHMH on issues of older adult mental health? Are there any programs right now? Well, I will say this is an area that Dr. Martin and I have discussed and we do plan on adding this as one of the issues for the cabinet, and we would like to collaborate more closely.

(01:23:31)

Is there any metric we can use to really assess the cabinet's work on any issue like this one? The metrics are not in place right

(01:23:43)

now, but they will be when we have our meeting on June 25 going forward. That is part of the standard operating procedure as far as I am concerned for chairing a committee — that we have some really tangible ways to be able to measure progress.

(01:24:01)

Okay, next topic: housing. Aging's recent service needs assessment found that a lot of older adults have been struggling with housing issues. How does Aging coordinate with NYCHA to address the needs of older adults in public housing? Also, right now NYCHA has tens of thousands of empty apartments.

(01:24:34)

Yes, and again, having not yet sat for our first meeting, it is very difficult to say this is what we have done at the meeting with the cabinet when we are just starting. So these are issues — obviously these are not secrets. These are issues that we are well aware of and would like to address along with our agency partners. So you can consider that this is one that we will come back and bring more information on, because we will have more information available

(01:25:04)

in the future. I would definitely like to have a hearing on this topic, because seniors from this community come to my office almost every single day saying they need senior housing and asking if we can help them apply for NYCHA apartments. It is happening every single day and the senior population is growing in New York City. I believe this will become more and more pressing. It is one of the top categories for us as well, as I mentioned earlier.

(01:25:37)

We have our Aging Connect platform and we do receive feedback from seniors, so housing is a consideration and it is one of the four focal areas as I mentioned earlier. Affordable housing is definitely on our radar as well as a priority. So without Section 8...

(01:25:54)

can New York City build more senior housing after 2028? I know there are some senior housing projects in the pipeline.

(01:26:05)

So after 2028, if there is no more Section 8, what is the plan for senior housing? Well, my plan now is to address the needs of older New Yorkers.

(01:26:18)

For us to start long-term planning, obviously that is something that the Council and the cabinet need to talk about. But for the issues that we have today, I think my time is better spent on trying to address the needs of today.

(01:26:36)

But there is nothing in the pipeline after 2028. I am not saying there is nothing in the pipeline. I am saying that those are issues that we definitely need to address as we move forward and have housing available. But that would not be very reliable information, so I would rather bring you reliable information that we have vetted. Okay, Local Law 75 of 2021

(01:27:00)

requires the establishment of a public housing liaison at Aging. We currently have our liaison, Marlene Shiloh, who has been there for many years and has been able to address most of the issues, and we have communicated her information quite a few times.

(01:27:20)

To add a little bit more about her responsibilities and what she is doing: she liaises directly with NYCHA, and particularly on all older adult centers that are located in NYCHA communities, and really helps troubleshoot a lot of issues that arise related to older adult centers located in NYCHA communities citywide.

(01:27:44)

Does she give any recommendations, and are any recommendations being implemented? She has ongoing discussions with NYCHA, of course, about what the needs are in terms of what is raised by providers at the centers, and then also discussing back and forth with NYCHA about potential timelines to address any

(01:28:03)

issues. Are any programs or facilities receiving funding from Aging? Are there any other thoughts about NYCHA?

(01:28:18)

Does she give any recommendations for NYCHA residents? It is very specific to older adult centers. Yes, because her portfolio is obviously the older adult centers. Within that, we are related in terms of sponsoring them.

(01:28:33)

Does she give any recommendations about the senior housing in Congressmember Grace Meng's district?

(01:28:44)

You mean Latimer Gardens? Yes. She has been part of the team that has worked on that. But since Latimer Gardens — as you mentioned, Local Law 75 of 2021 also requires

(01:28:59)

Aging to develop a system to receive and address complaints regarding older adult NYCHA properties. What does that system look like, and what does Aging do when it receives such a complaint? Is there a collaboration process with NYCHA when it comes to addressing these complaints?

(01:29:30)

Oh, 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 awareness of the system and being able to educate folks that there is a process in place, also submitting a ticket for repair. That ticket is then shared with Aging, and if we find that a projected timeline has not been met, we are able to escalate that request up to leadership within Aging and then also to the leadership of NYCHA.

(01:30:07)

How does Aging coordinate with NYCHA to increase enrollment for SCRIE and the DRIE program?

(01:30:19)

So in terms of SCRIE and DRIE, it is with NYCHA. What we have done is, particularly with HRA and Adult Protective Services, we have found that the Adult Protective Services team definitely benefits from support in terms of helping to navigate the SCRIE enrollment process and also the rules, and even determining whether or not a client's apartment or home is even eligible for SCRIE. Obviously you have to be in a rent-stabilized unit.

So what we have done, with the partnership of the Mayor's Public Engagement Unit — also another cabinet member — and particularly their tenant support team that does this work day in and day out: they liaise with the Department of Finance on SCRIE and DRIE enrollment and renewal. They have trained staff and also created a toolkit specific to the team to serve clients and ascertain whether a unit is eligible for SCRIE. What the team has done is establish a formal process to request from the landlord documentation to determine that the unit is rent-stabilized and eligible for SCRIE benefits. They have also trained the team on the documentation that is required, help facilitate government information sharing with the Department of Finance, and also follow up if there are any questions once applications are filed, including renewals. So that is what we have done through the cabinet. Thank you. And also,

(01:31:47)

I recently followed Aging's Facebook page and they have good translation. I read Chinese too, and I see the Chinese translation is good. However, for older adults in general, especially those who are not on Facebook and do not read English — the ones who do read English are on Facebook. But in other senior communities, they are on WeChat and other Korean platforms. So please reach out to them on different platforms. Let us move to another topic about food and food insecurity. How does

(01:32:28)

Aging collaborate with other agencies to address food access and food insecurity issues for older adults? Well, obviously we have a very robust platform for being able to provide 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 own centers and also through a home-delivered meal program. Any other areas where we can have pop-up meals for various areas are brought to us and we try to address them

(01:33:06)

immediately. And SNAP fraud is a major issue facing older adults

(01:33:10)

in New York City. Is Aging coordinating with HRA to help older

(01:33:18)

adults protect themselves from SNAP fraud? Is Aging in contact with 311 and NYPD, helping on

(01:33:32)

this issue? Yes, on all accounts. We are partnering with 311, which has been extremely helpful. As you know, we have had several events over the last few weeks and going forward during Elder Abuse Awareness Month. We have had events helping to educate. We partnered with the Mayor's Office on identity theft, and we have had several different events where we have been able to highlight things like fraud, SNAP fraud and elder abuse over the last few weeks. So yes, there are many, many ways that we have been partnering with various agencies and with NYPD, because thankfully it is actually a crime, so it is something that can be prosecuted. So yes.

(01:34:32)

I do have a case from my office I can share with you. A senior experienced SNAP fraud. She had $3,050 or so in her account and overnight, when she received the money, it was swiped away. She went to NYPD at our local precinct and they told her they do not take this type of report. Then she called 311 and they said they do not handle that either. That person then came to my office and we reported it and called NYPD at our local precinct to take a report in my office. So this type of issue happens very often. Also, especially in my area, I have a large immigrant community. They have trouble communicating and English is not their first language. For seniors, I understand it is hard to understand them because they have strong accents and local dialects. Even officers who do not speak English — but I see a lot of times that agencies do not take a step forward to make the extra effort to address these issues.

(01:35:52)

Well, please share that report that you have. Again, this is something that we encourage — that older adults do not feel intimidated or feel ashamed or afraid to report if they do have any incidents like

(01:36:07)

this. Yes, NYPD does partner with us and they have followed up on these issues. I do not know if there was a misunderstanding there, but I am certainly glad that the adult did reach out and that your office reached

(01:36:19)

out to anyone that could help. It is the saddest thing to think about someone preying on older adults and denying them access to food. So all of us are aligned that we will do all we can to protect our older New Yorkers from any type of abuse. And when we talk about

(01:36:40)

the report to NYPD — my office last week received a senior sexual abuse case. One of the seniors does not speak English at all. She speaks a local dialect and not even Mandarin or Cantonese — a very small dialect. She told her daughter four days later that she had been sexually abused in her building. The daughter called NYPD and NYPD came but did not take the report, saying they did not find anything. So the daughter came to my office two days after reporting the incident. The daughter told me what happened and my office called NYPD. NYPD sent another group of people with an interpreter to the site. They were actually able to find the footage and they arrested one person. So we definitely need more interagency collaboration. A lot of times seniors rely on you to address this type of issue. Is there any way we can work together and make sure everyone takes the necessary steps when they see something? That is

(01:38:09)

what I am asking. Absolutely, and that is the reason we exist and our Elder Justice unit exists — to provide that type of assistance and protection for all older New Yorkers. So yes, they should absolutely let us know, and I am happy about the outcome of this person being caught in this instance.

(01:38:30)

And why does Aging not provide services to help older adults with their interactions with NYPD? So

(01:38:41)

we would be interested in terms of which areas and which precincts. In 2023, through the cabinet, NYPD designated an older adult liaison for every precinct and police service area. So meaning even for NYCHA communities where there is an overlap between the precinct and the police service area, both older adult liaisons are involved, whether it is in terms of outreach or responding to any issues that are raised by older adults in the community. These are issues that, of course, require specialized response through Elder Justice and other providers in terms of sexual violence. But the older adult liaisons are the ones that are really the primary contact for older adults, whether they need information or are victims of crime in each of these areas.

I would also like to highlight that there has been special training provided for officers on their interactions with older adults, and to date about 40,000 officers have been trained. If a crime occurs in a NYCHA building, yes, if we are aware of the event we are able to provide support for the family that is affected as well as for our older adults.

(01:40:00)

Okay, how does Aging collaborate with the New York State Office for the Aging? Well, there is a continuous

(01:40:09)

collaboration with the State Office on a daily basis. There are meetings and trainings that are conducted between the State and City level, and I am happy to report that I have been able to meet with Greg Olsen from the State Office and we are looking at some collaborations that we will be able to have between the two in the future.

(01:40:33)

There is one issue I want to mention here. Because senior housing is a state legislation matter, we cannot pass it in New York City. But if you are having meetings, please mention this topic. If we can include senior units when they are doing housing, that will be very helpful for New York City. We have to think creatively about how to add senior housing. Absolutely, one

(01:41:03)

of the four priorities. Do you support Int 0230-2026? We support the intent of the Bill. Obviously we are looking at how it will be operationalized, but we definitely support the intent.

(01:41:23)

Does Aging currently provide older adults with assistance with in-home preventive

(01:41:32)

adaptations? Absolutely, as I mentioned in my testimony, we do have a grant that we are implementing to assist older New Yorkers to make their homes safer. So yes. And what kind of

(01:41:46)

assistance?

(01:41:47)

We actually send 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 minor construction

(01:42:02)

work. Int 0230-2026 would require Aging to work with the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities. What

(01:42:09)

is the agency's collaborative relationship with that office? Currently, we again have a very, very strong relationship with my fellow commissioner. In fact, we attended a symposium and served on a panel together very recently.

(01:42:25)

In reference to older adults that also have intellectual and developmental disabilities. So we are very aware of the strong connection between our two agencies and we collaborate.

(01:42:37)

So can I say you support this law?

(01:42:42)

I support the intent. So what is the other part you have concern about? The second part that I mentioned earlier, which is the operationalization of it. There are some specifics that you need to have in order to be able to implement the entire Bill, so I would like to have more clarity there. Okay, great.

(01:43:02)

I have finished all my questions. Thank you.

(01:43:05)

Thank you, Commissioner. Okay, I know the hearing for public testimony. Before we begin, I want to remind the members of the public that this is a formal government proceeding and decorum shall be observed at all times. As such, members of the 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 those within this table. Further, members of the public shall not present audio or video recordings as testimony, but may submit the transcript of such recordings to the Sergeant at Arms for inclusion in the hearing record.

(01:44:05)

If you wish to speak at today's hearing, please fill out an appearance card with the Sergeant at Arms and wait for your name to be called. Once your name has been called, you will have two minutes to speak on the oversight topic of interagency coordination for older adults. If you have a written statement or additional written testimony you wish to submit for the record, please provide a copy of that testimony to the Sergeant at Arms. You may also email written testimony to testimony at council.nyc.gov within 72 hours of this hearing. Audio and video recordings will not be accepted. When you hear your name, please come up to the witness panel. For the first panel, we invite...

(01:45:05)

Jessica Brodsky, Kevin Brodsky, Janine Cahill Jackson, Anita Quach. Do you want to put another chair there, please? Okay, most of the table on the other side. Or we can just do three. Come on over. Okay, please begin speaking.

(01:46:02)

Good afternoon. I am Jessica Brodsky, Senior Vice President for PROS — Personalized Recovery Oriented Services — at the Service Program for Older People, SPOP. Thank you, Chair Brewer, for holding this oversight hearing and for the opportunity to address the Committee on Aging. SPOP plays a unique role in supporting the health, emotional well-being and independence of older adults, and we have done so for more than 45 years.

We are 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 among the most vulnerable New Yorkers. Many live with serious mental health conditions such as major depression, bipolar disorder, 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 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. 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 and aspirations as 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 their identities as 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 strengthening their ties to community. Every day we witness the transformative impact that 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 older New Yorkers. Thank you for this opportunity.

(01:48:50)

You have the best timing. The floor is yours right now. How many people do you serve for mental health issues? You are asking me? So yes. We serve about a thousand people each year. So it is a lot of people. Is there a waiting list? No. We try to get people connected as quickly as possible. Okay. Thank you.

(01:49:16)

Thank you for the opportunity to testify. My name is Anita. I am a policy analyst at the United Neighborhood Houses. Our members operate programs that touch aging and more, and we consistently hear frustration from our members about lack of coordination between agencies. One of which is the NITRA liaison. Thank you, Councilmember, for asking the NITRA question, because we asked our members and they do not know who the NITRA liaison is. They do not know the name. They question whether or not this person actually exists. To this day, I asked them last month and they had no idea, and there was a lot of confusion. There are also constant needs for repairs because tickets get closed randomly or they remain open without resolution. You have folks in New York operating in senior centers without necessary infrastructure like working accessible bathrooms. Aging and NITRA need to stop pointing fingers at each other while older adults are left in deteriorating spaces.

With us being in the summer season and 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 threats of climate-related emergencies beyond heat, such as extreme cold. So we urge the City to designate a position either in aging or emergency management to coordinate all weather-related operations and provide consistent answers to providers.

Finally, interagency programming is something all our members want more support on. Agencies need help in implementing programs. Older adults do not only use services from aging — they interact with programs from agencies across City government, but there is no coordination at aging that reflects that. We urge the Council on Aging to think beyond the traditional aging service network and work with other agencies, such as the OECD, to build intergenerational approaches in their programs, such as Cornerstones, to combat social isolation and build a community where people of all ages can thrive. Thank you.

(01:51:20)

Thank you. We definitely want to follow up with everyone on the aging liaison's contact information and will share that with everyone. I suggest everyone have that document. When you contact that person and when you get a response, note why it takes so long. So we will definitely follow up with everyone.

(01:51:46)

Okay. Good morning, Chair Brewer. My name is Kevin. I work at LiveOn New York and I am here to represent the over 110 community-based nonprofits that make up our membership, and quite frankly, we have struggled a lot with the fact that the City does not do a good job of coordinating agency responses. 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, a 40% increase by 2040. I do not see a lot of this coming out from agencies, but we are so glad that you bring this up every time because the Council seems to be really aligned with the reality of things and we are really grateful that we are moving forward with you on that.

Older adults are bearing the brunt of the current policy crisis the City is facing. Climate change affects us more as we age. The 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 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 DFTA issue anymore. DFTA needs to be able to lead and coordinate how agencies respond to the needs of aging New Yorkers.

The first point is that 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 hotter city, a more flooding city, a city with worse air quality because of wildfires. And community support, to ensure that people are not isolated, to ensure that we are 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 the public so that we can see what they are talking about, so that there is actual accountability to the people that they are serving and to the people serving those that they say they are serving. We need to make sure that the plans match the needs of older New Yorkers and not just conversations internally about what the City thinks.

The third point 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 aging. We are grateful that they have made changes in certain programs. Is it okay if I continue? We are grateful they have 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.

The last point is 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 folks with policy expertise in the academic space to understand where the growth needs to be. I know that we heard earlier that it is 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 and we do think that the cabinet is a great opportunity for us to start bringing aging into every City agency. Thank you for the opportunity to testify.

(01:54:29)

So my question is: we need to amend this law, right? Yes.

(01:54:33)

And also, another question since you

(01:54:35)

represent a large number of senior centers, would you be supportive of Int 0230-2026?

(01:54:43)

Could you just remind me of Int 0230-2026? There are a lot of numbers in my brain.

(01:54:45)

The one we talked about today is CM Hudson's Bill. Yes.

(01:54:49)

We are in support of CM Hudson's Bill. And for any funding that needs to go towards aging programs, you have our support with that.

(01:55:03)

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

(01:55:09)

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

(01:55:21)

have great partnerships with a lot of the academia in this space. Thank you. Please begin speaking.

(01:55:30)

Good afternoon and thank you for convening this hearing today and for the opportunity to testify. My name is Janine Cahill Jackson. I am the Director of the Elderly Practice at the Legal Aid Society, where we focus on helping seniors obtain the support they need to continue to reside in the community safely. My testimony today will focus on support of Int 0230-2026, the financial assistance program for 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 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 fall behind on rent because they fell in the apartment due to conditions that resulted in hospitalization and a nursing home stay due to the injury after the fall. Further, they face challenges being discharged from the nursing home if the apartment does not include sufficient modifications to allow them to reside there safely. Older adults 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 aide because they can no longer manage the stairs and do not have other housing options.

(01:56:51)

While this...

(01:56:52)

...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 are done in coordination and with express approval of the landlord. Specifically, in rent-stabilized and other subsidized apartments, 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... as I continue, okay.

(01:57:34)

I am not going to be at all as timely as my colleague, so please, I can submit written testimony as well.

(01:57:42)

But I will continue briefly. While not all modifications will need to be extensively approved by the landlord — such as a grab bar — with the approval of up to $10,000 per person, this program does seem to contemplate more extensive modifications, perhaps converting a tub into a roll-in shower, which would certainly require the landlord's approval. Second, regarding the application and approval process, I strongly recommend that there be a right to request a fair hearing if the applicant is denied. Additionally, if the landlord's approval is needed, there could be an opportunity for disability discrimination to occur if the 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

(01:58:30)

the application, the application should be clear as to what the older adult is required to provide in terms of proving disability, which could be a challenge to obtain. Specifically, to note that older adults who have received Social Security Disability have a typical proof of disability for various programs. However, for older New Yorkers 67 and older, Social Security retirement no longer provides that clear proof. 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 for the older adult to figure out how to prove their disability in their application.

Third and lastly, older New Yorkers benefit from assistance in determining what modifications they could be eligible for or what might benefit them as they develop their applications. For example, they truly need the widening of their bathroom doorway to be able to enter with their wheelchair, but they have never been able to find that 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 will be submitting written testimony as well.

(01:59:43)

Thank you. Do you think the current collaboration between agencies is efficient? Can you elaborate on your question? I am not sure. Like, the aging agency says they have the cabinet right now. They said there is collaboration between agencies. Do you think you see that?

(02:00:04)

I have not seen any of the outcomes of that collaboration impact my clients either way, so I could not speak with specificity. Okay. So I have questions for Anita.

(02:00:15)

For what you have... when you have NITRA issues and you contact the agency, how long does it take you to get a

(02:00:18)

response?

(02:00:28)

So we are not a direct service provider, but our members will reach out to NITRA and they will get a ticket, and then nothing will come out of the ticket. Sometimes they know to escalate to their DFTA program officer and that way it gets resolved a bit quicker. I do not have the specifics of the numbers, but I know specifically for the NITRA liaison, a lot of members find that their DFTA program officer will not put them in contact with the NITRA liaison directly. They will have to go through multiple avenues. So the NITRA liaison knows what is going on, but they will not have direct contact with the NITRA liaison.

(02:01:08)

Got it. Okay. Yeah.

(02:01:10)

Additionally, we have stories from our members who have gone to fix an issue in their center. The issue was flagged by, let us say, FDNY as a safety hazard. NITRA refused to fix it or fund them for it. They got brought to OATH court and then the center provider themselves, because of a lack of coordination between DFTA and NITRA, the center provider was held personally liable and threatened with arrest if they did not fix it. But because of a lack of interagency coordination, there was no path to fix it.

Our center director basically just had to say there is nothing I can do. I do not have the authorization from NITRA to fix it. I do not have the funding from DFTA to fix it. They will not allow us to move forward with this. So there are situations where the lack of interagency coordination puts the risk on the workers themselves. And if we remember how much the City is funding a lot of these social work contracts, they are not making a lot of money to do it. They are really doing it because they care, and they are taking on a lot of this risk themselves.

(02:02:11)

Can you guys document those

(02:02:13)

cases? Absolutely. I can connect you with the service provider because some service providers have dealt with this multiple times and have basically just gotten to the point where it is par for the course. That is the story here every day. Also, yeah. Thank you. Thank you so much.

(02:02:31)

So next panel: Carl Jones... we have a Carl Johnson again, and Martha Kember. Okay, that is all. Yeah, you could ask anyone else. Okay, when you are ready, you guys come up. Thank you. Good

(02:03:06)

afternoon, Chairs. My name is Carl Johnson. I built an elevator advocate 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 the Bronx. And I am here about a gap leaving our older adults in a state of lethal isolation.

On the nineteenth, my elderly neighbor on the eighth floor was trapped inside our building's only elevator for 20 minutes. She called the super, got no answer. She was cut off. My system has tracked that nearly one in four residents has a disability and many are seniors. For them, a failed elevator is not an inconvenience. It is an emergency. The elevator in my building is out for the fifth time this season. Last summer it was out for three weeks at a stretch.

In 2000, this Council introduced Resolution 587 after a squirrel 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. DFTA already delivers emergency meals during elevator outages, but that protocol is entirely reactive. January is the worst month for elevator complaints citywide, spiking 35% above the monthly average.

We need no new agency or budget line. Local Law 64 of 2024, co-sponsored by Council Members, codified the Cabinet for Older New Yorkers to break down these silos, but there is still no data bridge between agencies. Right now, 146 chronic offender buildings sit within a quarter mile of a DFTA-funded New York site, 33 of which are single elevator buildings. 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 Safer Homes Act, would authorize seizure of the worst offenders. None of these tools would work without it. Our seniors deserve a city that coordinates its data as well as it coordinates its care. Thank you, Marco Kember.

(02:05:24)

You are up. For the past 20 years I have been the director of the Wyckoff House in Brooklyn, a longtime Sunset Park resident. I would like to thank the Council Member for the opportunity to testify today. The Wyckoff House in Brooklyn is a longstanding grassroots community-based nonprofit committed to supporting the 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 am here today.

For most of our older residents, the Wyckoff House is the first safe and nurturing home they have ever had, and they understandably do not want to leave. They do not want to lose their community as they age. But we are not funded through supportive housing, so we have no dedicated services. We recognize that many of our seniors need 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 worked 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 residents with City services whose very purpose is to support its most vulnerable

(02:07:15)

citizens. I think I gave you my second page. We do not have the time here to discuss how challenging and frustrating this aspect of our work, and almost every aspect in particular, has been, but suffice to

(02:07:29)

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 are entitled to, even for our staff.

(02:07:43)

Some of these systems are near impossible to navigate. Of the older adults in New York City, it is 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

(02:08:02)

those who want to age in place with only a little additional support?

(02:08:07)

Our residents not only remained stably housed, not only survived, but definitively thrived, aging independently and joyfully with dignity in a community of their own.

(02:08:19)

And I do hope the Committee can address some of these disparities. Thank you. Thank you for your testimony. I just have a question. Do you support Int 0230?

(02:08:30)

Yes, I do. Okay.

(02:08:32)

And also I love this form you made. I think it is very helpful. It is all from the Bronx? So the table that is there, there is a mistake on it. There are 33 buildings in New York City that are classified as a chronic offender on my tracker by having only one elevator, so I need to add one more building to complete the set of 33. But yes. Okay. Can you send me more information

(02:09:12)

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

(02:09:21)

Absolutely. That is the whole goal. Yeah, and I will certainly send any more information.

(02:09:24)

Yeah, thank you. Thank you. Thank you both. Thank you. Do we have anyone in this room who wanted to testify? Yes? Okay. No one. We will now move to virtual testimony.

(02:09:45)

Please wait for your name to be called to testify and please unmute when you are prompted. The first person is Kristen McManus. Kristen McManus, your time has begun.

(02:10:08)

Thank you. Good afternoon and thank you for the opportunity to testify. I am Kristen McManus, the Director of Government Affairs and Advocacy for our organization. We are a social mission organization with around 750,000 members in New York City. The older adult population in New York City is growing and unfortunately they are increasingly living in poverty, and this I think impacts a lot of this interagency coordination and 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 regarding the Older Adult Cabinet and the need for transparency and opening it up to outside groups. 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.

Similarly, we were heartened to see that the Governor in her State of the State proposed a one-stop shop for older adults to access benefits. We encourage the Council to work with the State to make sure that New York City residents and all of the programs that they need are incorporated into this analysis and into this one-stop benefits program. And all of this coordination is great, but we also need to make sure that these services are appropriately funded.

So just to bring up, as I know that the City Council is also considering the budget, 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 are only guaranteed five-day-a-week meals. Thank you again for the opportunity to testify.

(02:12:15)

The next person is Ramona.

(02:12:19)

Hello everyone. My name is... I am the founder of Safe Section 9 Tenants at Mitchell Houses in the South Bronx. 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 practices in America's only truly affordable housing stock. I am testifying today on behalf of our members and neighbors throughout public housing, many of whom 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 with NYCHA's

(02:13:12)

dependence on privatization via PACT, and NYCHA's plan to develop a new organizational plan adversely impacts our elders. You should note that the proposed budget for public housing will invest $1 billion towards the capital repairs necessary for 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 moneys 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 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...

(02:14:27)

Your time has expired.

(02:14:30)

Could I have a couple more seconds to provide our

(02:14:33)

Sure, sure. I think it is also important to note that NYCHA is targeting senior developments with PACT privatization. These seniors are not informed on the dangers that PACT presents. The PACT impact studies that have been conducted up to this point have proven that PACT doubles evictions, increases rents and undermines tenant rights. We urge you to shift all funding away from PACT and towards Section 9

(02:14:59)

comprehensive modernization. We also ask that you support CM Banks in instituting a moratorium on PACT pending an impact study. We are working towards that same goal at the federal level. We would love to work with the Committee on Aging and other stakeholders to shape the metrics that would tell us how RAD or PACT have impacted seniors. And finally, if there are NYCHA 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.

(02:15:38)

Thank you. The other good news is we will have a hearing with CM Banks in the near future about this topic. He called our office. We have two more people.

(02:15:57)

Harmon Turner... next one, Dreamer Jimeno. Is someone here?

(02:16:19)

Thank you to everyone who testified today. If there is anyone present in the room or online who has not had the opportunity to testify, please raise your hand. Seeing none, I would like to note that written testimony, which will be reviewed in full by Committee staff, may be submitted to the record up to 72

(02:16:46)

hours after the closing of this hearing by emailing it to the Committee. To conclude, I am grateful to all who have attended today's hearing to offer testimony. Thank you all so much for the work you do and thank you to my staff for your work in preparing for this hearing. With that, this hearing is