PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Jasmine McFarland, Deputy Chief Program Officer of Lenox Hill Neighborhood House
2:43:43
ยท
164 sec
Jasmine McFarland from Lenox Hill Neighborhood House testified about their older adult center located in a NYCHA building, highlighting the importance of these centers for low-income seniors and the challenges they face with infrastructure and maintenance issues.
- The center provides meals, programming, and on-site social services to aging adults in NYCHA housing.
- Infrastructure challenges include flooding, water shutdowns, and the need for sudden closures due to facility issues.
- McFarland emphasized the need for a full review of NYCHA older adult center systems, expenses, and capital needs to make substantial improvements.
Jasmine McFarland
2:43:43
Thank you, council member Hudson and members of the committee on aging and the committee on public housing and everyone in attendance today.
2:43:51
My name is Jazza McFarland.
2:43:53
I am the deputy chief program officer at Lenox Hill Neighborhood House.
2:43:56
Thank you for holding this important oversight meeting.
2:43:58
I learned a lot.
2:44:00
Lenox Hill Neighborhood House is a 131 year old settlement house that provides an extensive range of social services that improve the lives of over 15,000 New Yorkers in need each year, ages 3 to a 103.
2:44:13
The neighborhood house serves 5,000 members in our NYC aging funded network of older adult centers, one of which is located in a NYCHA building on the upper east side that is designated for older adults.
2:44:25
Our center at this location provides 3 nutritious farm to table congregate meals 7 days a week, a remarkable daily calendar classes, services and programming, and comprehensive on-site social services.
2:44:37
Being on-site, an on-site older adult center in a night show building that houses aging adults has proven to be a lifeline for older, for low income individuals who are often isolated and unlimited income.
2:44:52
Our presence within a NYCHA building has proven invaluable to both our clients and the surrounding community.
2:44:59
However, like many of our peers who operate older adult centers in NYCHA buildings, we've encountered various infrastructure challenges that directly impact our programs and services.
2:45:10
These include recurring repair issues, such as flooding from apartments above the center, unexpected water shutdowns that disrupt programming, and the need for sudden closures due to prolonged leaks and water shutoffs resulting in an unusual unused unusable facilities.
2:45:25
While we maintain a positive working relationship with NYCHA staff and handle as much of the maintenance and repairs as we can on our own, A full review of the NYCHA older adults, center systems expense and capital needs is required for substantial and sustained improvements.
2:45:42
The overall budget for aging programs already poses challenges to operate to operators, But even more
Ryan Murray
2:45:48
Time has expired.
2:45:49
Thank you.
Crystal Hudson
2:45:51
You can you can finish up.
Jasmine McFarland
2:45:54
Okay.
2:45:54
Thank you.
2:45:55
But even more to those at sites with major capital needs.
2:45:58
New funding, which demonstrates a prioritization of NYCHA older adult centers and accompanying investment in capital improvements will be welcomed.
2:46:07
In closing, older adult centers are a safe haven for numerous vulnerable older adults including residents in the NYCHA building above our site.
2:46:15
As we face fiscal uncertainty in Washington, we urge local stakeholders to prioritize investments in these vital centers to ensure that they remain a cornerstone of support for our city's aging population.
2:46:27
Thank you.