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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Navi Bains, Associate Director of Advocacy and Policy at Asian American Federation
3:43:21
ยท
129 sec
Navi Bains from the Asian American Federation testified on the FY26 budget, highlighting the challenges faced by New York's Asian community, particularly older adults. She emphasized the need for increased funding for culturally competent services for Asian seniors, who are among the fastest-growing and poorest senior populations in the city.
- 42% of Asian seniors are low-income, with 25% of those in poverty living alone and 84% having limited English proficiency
- The Asian American Federation works with 12 member organizations serving 25,000 low-income seniors from 10 different Asian ethnicities
- Bains urged the city council to reverse proposed budget cuts and increase funding for older adult services, especially for Asian-led and Asian-serving providers
Navi Bains
3:43:21
Thank you to chair Crystal Hudson and the committee on aging for holding this hearing and for giving us the opportunity to testify on the fiscal year twenty six budget.
3:43:29
I'm Nadip Baines, the associate director of advocacy and policy at the Asian American Federation, where we proudly represent the collective voice of more than 70 member nonprofit organizations serving 1,500,000 Asian New Yorkers.
3:43:43
In 02/2025, New York's Asian community faces a fundamentally changed landscape.
3:43:48
From a sharp rise in anti immigrant policies and drastic cuts in federal funding to the acute targeting of Asian communities through hate speech, we are facing an unprecedented crisis.
3:43:59
Asian older adults are the fastest growing older adult community citywide, making up 14% of New York City Senior population.
3:44:07
This population growth was coupled with a rise in poverty, and currently, 42% of Asian seniors are low income, making them among the city's poorest seniors.
3:44:16
Furthermore, twenty five percent of Asian seniors experiencing poverty live alone, and eighty four percent of them have limited English proficiency.
3:44:25
The Asian American Federation works with twelve twelve of our member organizations as a part of the seniors working group, the first and only Asian specific seniors advocacy coalition in the city.
3:44:36
Together, these organizations serve a 25,000 low income seniors annually from 10 different Asian ethnicities.
3:44:44
To highlight some of the work that our member orgs have done, India Home has come up with innovative strategies to create a coliving housing model for seniors.
3:44:52
Copal operates the only registered halal meals on wheels program in the city, and Homecrest provides culturally competent programming and support to reduce isolation for, our Chinese community.
3:45:02
On behalf of our organizations, we urge the city council and the administration to reverse the proposed 1,000,000 plus cuts, that are being proposed and commit to a robust increase in funding for older adult services and especially increased funding to Asian led Asian serving older adult service providers so they can continue to provide the culturally competent programming, food services, and in language support that our seniors uniquely need.
3:45:28
Thank you.
3:45:29
Thank you so much for your time.