REMARKS
Council Member Crystal Hudson opens Committee on Aging meeting on the fiscal 2025 preliminary budget
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3 min
Council Member Crystal Hudson chairs the Committee on Aging hearing to discuss NYC Aging's fiscal 2025 preliminary budget, addressing challenges and resource needs for older adults.
- Hudson welcomes attendees, thanks Commissioner Cortez Vasquez, Council member Lynn Schulman, and others for participation.
- Emphasizes the obstacles faced by older adults due to the pandemic, inflation, and increased cost of living.
- Highlights the critical role of NYC Aging in meeting the needs of older adults and calls attention to budget cuts and inadequate resources.
- Sets the agenda for the hearing to delve into NYC Aging’s budget details, its impact, utilization of programs, and key services including case management and home delivered meals.
- Points out the need for enhanced capital programs to refurbish centers and improve resources for older adults.
Crystal Hudson
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Thank you so much, and good afternoon.
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My name is Crystal Hudson, and I serve as chair of the committee on aging.
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Welcome to the committee's hearing on the fiscal 2025 preliminary budget.
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The New York City Department for the Aging, also known as NYC Aging.
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Thank you to Commissioner Cortez Vasquez for joining us today.
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We're also joined by Council member at Lynn Schulman.
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And on the Zoom, we have counsel member Susan Zwang.
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Following testimony and questions with NYC aging, we will hear testimony from the public at approximately 3 PM.
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Thank you to those older adult advocates and community members who have joined us today.
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I'll keep my comments here brief and request that the commissioner keep our oral testimony brief so that we can move on to questions from council members.
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Older adults and the older adult provider network have faced unprecedented challenges in the past few years due to the pandemic and social isolation.
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As well as inflation and the increased cost of living.
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I look forward to working collaboratively with providers and the administration to help the city's 1,800,000 older adults get through this difficult period.
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NYC aging has a critical role to play in assessing and meeting the needs of older adults and collaborating with the provider network and the council to harness best practices and scale innovative approaches.
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NYC Aging's fiscal 2025 preliminary budget is $485,100,000, $36,700,000 less than the fiscal 2024 adopted budget.
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Despite almost a 5th of the city's population.
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The department's budget continues to account for less than 1 half of 1% of the city's overall budget.
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The preliminary plan includes one new need for staffing costs in fiscal 2024.
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Across the November and preliminary plans, There was a total peg for NYC Aging of $35,300,000 in fiscal 2024 and a baseline peg of $17,200,000 starting in fiscal 2025.
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These are concerning cuts at a time when NYC Aging needs greater resources to conduct its work to of a growing aging population.
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NYC Aging's capital commitment plan, the smallest in the city, totaled $72,300,000 over fiscal schools 2024 through 20 28.
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The council funds just over 20% of these projects.
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With over 300 older adult clubs and Norx now in the New York City Aging Network.
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This funding is insufficient to properly address all needs.
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I believe the capital program should be enhanced to help refurbish centers, improve kitchens, and connect older adults to much needed technology and resources.
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In today's hearing, we would like to get a deeper understanding of NYC Aging's expense budget, its capital plan, the impact of recent pegs, how the agency determines utilization for programs, and key agencies services and programs, including case management, home delivered meals, and older adult center programs.
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We would also like to delve into the metrics reported for NYC aging in the fiscal 2024 preliminary measures management report or PMMR.
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I'd like to thank the committee staff who've helped prepare his hearing, Simon Hameed, financial analyst, Julia Hernandez, Unit Head, Christopher Pep base, senior legislative counsel, Chloe Rivera, senior policy analyst, Nick Conner and my chief of staff, Casey Addison, and director of policy and budget initiatives, Andrew Wright.