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Q&A
Council Member Hudson questions NYC Aging on budget increases and program funding
3:20:13
·
9 min
Council Member Crystal Hudson questions Commissioner Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez and CFO Jose Mercado about the NYC Department for the Aging's budget increases, program funding, and future plans. The discussion covers the fiscal cliff, potential program reductions, upcoming RFPs for older adult centers, and funding allocations for various services.
- The agency confirms that the fiscal cliff has been funded, but some programs might still face reductions.
- NYC Aging is in negotiations for additional funding in areas such as caregiving, workforce development, and transportation.
- There are plans to release a new RFP for older adult centers at the end of 2025, with potential innovations to address changing needs of the aging population.
- The agency is working with OMB to address funding gaps in the out years of the budget plan.
Crystal Hudson
3:20:13
Thank you so much again Chair Brennan and Commissioner.
3:20:18
NYC Aging's fiscal twenty twenty five budget totals 579 $570,900,000 in the executive plan, while the budget for fiscal twenty twenty six totals 554,400,000.0.
3:20:32
This represents an increase of 20,200,000.0 for fiscal twenty twenty five and a $128,300,000 increase for fiscal twenty twenty six from the preliminary plan.
3:20:42
Notably, council discretionary funding, totals 41,600,000.0 in fiscal twenty twenty five, is not yet included in the fiscal twenty twenty six budget.
3:20:51
We were very happy to see this infusion of much needed funding to NYC aging in the executive plan.
3:20:56
Can you confirm that the additions made in the plan address the agency's fiscal cliff and that all programs are fully funded at the current level in fiscal twenty twenty six and beyond?
Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez
3:21:07
As I told you in the preliminary budget hearing that there was a commitment made to both you by the OMB director and to me.
3:21:19
And that commitment has been met.
3:21:22
The fiscal cliff has been funded.
Crystal Hudson
3:21:25
Okay.
3:21:27
With these additional funds in place, can you confirm that no programs will need to be reduced or centers closed in the next fiscal year?
Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez
3:21:34
There will be no centers closed in the next fiscal year.
Crystal Hudson
3:21:38
So does that mean that programs might be reduced?
Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez
3:21:42
Program might be reduced, but it has nothing to do with the fiscal cliff.
Crystal Hudson
3:21:46
Okay.
3:21:48
Is NYC Aging requesting any additional funding from the administration for the adopted plan?
3:21:53
And if so, how much and for which programs?
Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez
3:21:56
We're in conversations with them about several of our unmet needs and we're in those discussions now, presenting those now.
Crystal Hudson
3:22:07
Okay.
3:22:08
Can I get like a yes or a no?
Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez
3:22:11
Yes, we're in negotiations with them.
Crystal Hudson
3:22:14
Slick.
3:22:15
I'll take it.
3:22:17
Are there any outstanding areas you can flag that still require additional funding?
Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez
3:22:30
I would say that the three areas that we have the most concern about is this explosive caregiving crisis that the city as well as the nation is facing.
3:22:43
And I think, you know, being forward thinking, we need to start looking at that.
3:22:49
I also think that workforce is another area that we've been in conversations about because workforce is becoming more and more of a desire for older adults as they remain in their community.
3:23:01
But it's also becoming a mandate so that they can stay in this and thrive in this city.
3:23:06
So that they can have additional income beyond an opportunity, other forms of social isolation.
3:23:14
And I believe you know concurrent with that would be home care services.
3:23:20
Again to support community care.
3:23:23
But all of these discussions are being made with OMB at this time.
3:23:30
And I believe that they're conversations in earnest.
3:23:32
And also, of course, transportation.
Crystal Hudson
3:23:37
Thank you.
3:23:40
Many providers continue to be concerned about the next OAC RFP.
3:23:45
OAC contracts were set to end on 12/31/2024.
3:23:49
NYC Aging extended these contracts for eighteen months and pushed out the release of a new RFP to the end of the current calendar year.
3:23:56
Does NYC Aging still plan to release the next RFP for older adult centers at the end of calendar year 2025?
Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez
3:24:04
Yes.
3:24:05
That is the plan.
3:24:07
And you know, and it's one of these decisions that we have to make both as an administration and in partnership.
3:24:17
You don't want to have a noncompetitive process in this business.
3:24:23
So you do want to have RFPs.
3:24:26
But you also don't want to release an RFP that's not going to fully fund things.
3:24:30
So as we are navigating the fiscal situation, we need to make sure that these programs we can have an RFP that's fully funded.
3:24:38
And so that will determine the decision as to the actual release of the RFP.
Crystal Hudson
3:24:44
Do you anticipate contracts would be in place by 07/01/2026?
Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez
3:24:51
That would be the goal if we do it in December.
3:24:53
If we do it beyond that then
Crystal Hudson
3:24:56
Shifts.
3:24:56
It shifts.
3:24:57
Okay.
3:24:58
Are there any changes to OAC services or contracts that NYC Aging is planning to make in the new RFP?
Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez
3:25:05
I think we look for, like we have in the past, we look for innovations.
3:25:09
We look for the things that we've learned from the pop up kitchens.
3:25:12
We look at the things that we've learned from the social isolation programming.
3:25:18
We learn, you know, we're in conversations with the providers now with a few of them.
3:25:24
Like what would the center of the future look like?
3:25:26
Because we really want to stay current.
3:25:28
Because the older adult, as they're aging in, their needs are very different than the 75 and 85 year old older adult who goes to those centers.
3:25:37
So we need to keep looking at how do we satisfy this diverse aging population and the whole spectrum.
Crystal Hudson
3:25:44
Is NYC Aging looking to expand the OAC network and include more organizations or different types of services in its next RFP?
Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez
3:25:53
I think we look for the best possible program design and we look for obviously the most publicly public best use of public dollars.
Crystal Hudson
3:26:07
I think we are interested in the best use for public dollars.
Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez
3:26:11
Right.
Crystal Hudson
3:26:11
So we can appreciate that.
3:26:13
The executive plan includes an additional 81 and a half million dollars in fiscal twenty twenty six and a baselined $75,000,000 from fiscal twenty twenty seven through fiscal twenty twenty nine for senior services.
3:26:25
This addition baselined 16 positions at NYC Aging, bringing its total budgeted headcount to 340 in fiscal twenty twenty six and beyond.
3:26:36
Can you provide a breakdown of how this additional funding will be used?
Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez
3:26:41
Where we okay, let me go.
3:26:45
Where, you know, we don't have a wide bandwidth of positions.
3:26:50
So the areas where we would we always invest would be around those that either monitor programs, provide technical assistance.
3:27:00
So we're looking at the program officer.
3:27:03
We also wanna continue to have functioning fiscal operation, which we currently have, to ensure that we can continue our on time payment record.
3:27:15
And so those are the primary areas.
3:27:17
It's either going to be finance or it's going to be community services.
3:27:21
And of course in our case management area, we want to continue to provide that kind of work.
3:27:27
And of course the workforce area.
3:27:29
So they basically center around the core programs.
Crystal Hudson
3:27:36
Sorry.
3:27:39
Okay.
3:27:40
Can you share how much will be earmarked for OACs, NORCs, home delivered meals, and will any funding be applied for other programs?
Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez
3:27:50
I don't understand how much we're committing to OACs and NOCs
Crystal Hudson
3:27:56
and home delivered So
Jose Mercado
3:27:58
what we'll do, for example, you guys, city council requested for new unit appropriations.
3:28:03
So we'll be moving money.
3:28:04
You'll see mods sometime in July, budget mods in July to basically move money around to make sure that all budget codes can fund all existing contracts.
Crystal Hudson
3:28:13
Okay.
3:28:14
Thank you.
3:28:18
Can you explain the difference in funding levels for fiscal twenty twenty six and the out years of the plan?
3:28:23
Will this impact the level of services that will be provided?
Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez
3:28:27
Yeah.
3:28:29
Go ahead.
3:28:38
Yeah, yeah, that's the fact.
3:28:41
In the out years it is not there will be pegs if those do not get addressed in the out years.
3:28:51
There'll be a shortfall.
Jose Mercado
3:28:54
So we're working with the So as you mentioned there is basically a gap between fiscal years.
3:29:00
So that's the information.
3:29:01
So we're working with OMB to
Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez
3:29:02
ensure We're working with OMB to address those gaps.
3:29:04
But there is a gap.
Crystal Hudson
3:29:08
Okay, thank you.
3:29:09
I'll circle back to that in a moment if I need to.
3:29:19
Can you confirm if that's a gap of $6,500,000?
Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez
3:29:25
It's more than that.
Crystal Hudson
3:29:26
It's more than that?
3:29:27
Do you have an estimate?
Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez
3:29:29
Yeah, we do.
Jose Mercado
3:29:32
Well, your point, it's a difference between the 81 and the 75.
Crystal Hudson
3:29:37
Well that's the six point So that's why we were trying to figure out if that's the same.
Jose Mercado
3:29:41
Yes.
Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez
3:29:42
Yeah.
3:29:42
Okay.