Elected officials and senior citizens from across the city rallied today to call on the state to restore the drastic cuts to New York City’s senior centers in Governor Cuomo’s proposed budget.  Under the current proposal, over 40 percent of the city’s senior centers would be closed.

In his budget, the Governor proposed redirecting $25.2 million in federal Title XX (20) funding away from the Department for the Aging (DFTA) – effectively cutting a third of DFTA’s entire budget for senior centers.  If enacted, the $25.2 million cut would lead to 105 senior centers across the city – serving 7,800 seniors each day – being permanently shuttered.

The same cut was proposed by then-Governor Paterson last year, but was restored by the state legislature.  Participants today called on their state elected officials to once again stand with New York City’s seniors to oppose these devastating cuts.

“The fact is that Title XX funding belongs in our senior centers and we need the state to restore the funding,” said Senior Center Chair Council Member David Greenfield. “For many seniors, centers are their only source for a hot meal. The Governor’s decision to take away these funds will, quite literally, starve seniors. As I stand with my colleagues, seniors and their advocates today on the steps of City Hall, I am calling on everyone to do their part to make the state understand that it cannot balance its budget on the backs of our city’s elderly who have given so much in their lifetimes, and receive so little in the way of gratitude.” Greenfield went up to Albany on Monday with the Commissioner of the Department for the Aging to lobby legislators to restore the funds for Senior Centers.

“These cuts would obliterate senior centers and services in our city,” Council Member Jessica Lappin said.  “Closing the doors to these centers would mean turning our backs on nearly 8,000 older New Yorkers. We’re going to fight like hell to keep that from happening.”

“For 35 years Title XX funds have been a primary resource for senior centers. Now Governor Cuomo is deciding to remove $25 million from Title XX, which according to the Department for the Aging (DFTA) would force 105 centers to close impacting up to10,000 seniors. This means 2.5 million fewer nutritional meals will be provided annually to NYC’s senior citizens. These cuts would come at a time when NYC’s fastest growing population is the 85+ year old, and when the average age of senior center participant is 77, and sixty to seventy percent of them live below the poverty line on a fixed income. This means that more seniors may utilize costly Medicaid services.  The Governor needs to know that closing senior centers today will cost taxpayers tomorrow,” Igal Jellinek, Executive Director of the Council of Senior Centers and Services said.

“State budget cuts again and again unfairly discriminate against the most vulnerable members of our community — from seniors to our children. But I know that New York City’s seniors are ready to fight back. They will not let their way of life be attacked. They will not be victims. They will remind Governor Cuomo that there are people behind these budget numbers. These senior centers are home to some of the proudest and tenacious members of our community. Cutting funds for senior citizens severs a lifeline to integral health care, nutrition, and counseling services. In my district, these cuts disproportionately affect centers that serve Asian-American, immigrant, and other underserved minority populations. It is because of this community’s widespread dependency on senior centers that we face such a high number of potential closures. It is textbook cutting services to those who rely on them the most. These cuts jeopardize people’s lives while refusing to extend the millionaire’s tax and raise revenue from those who can afford it,” Council Member Margaret Chin said.

“It is not fair for the Governor to try to balance the budget on the backs of one our most vulnerable populations – our seniors,” said NYC Council Member Daniel Dromm. “Our seniors deserve better at this point in their lives. The Governor must restore Title XX funding.”

“Senior centers keep an entire population engaged and active in the community, so while seniors get the benefit of resources like hot meals and medical check-ups, neighborhoods are made more vibrant from the involvement of seniors,” Council Member Vincent Gentile said. “In a naturally occurring retirement community like south Brooklyn, making sure our seniors have the support and resources they require at their fingertips is a priority. For seniors’ sake and our entire community’s sake, our senior centers’ doors have got to stay wide open.”

“These cuts are unconscionable, directly affecting the lives of our most vulnerable – senior centers are lifelines – providing hot meals, socializing, and educational programs across the five boroughs,” said Council Member Diana Reyna.  “I am fully aware that painful choices have to be made, but our senior centers are the foundation of our communities – these centers are a way of life and help bind our neighborhoods together.  It’s ridiculous and a dishonor to do this to seniors, who’ve worked their whole lives at bettering our communities.”

“I believe there are only two reasons that any of us are here, G-d and our seniors and we’ll be judged by how we treat them.  The State wants to close two out of the three centers in my district.  How can one center serve all of my seniors?  What about the millionaire’s tax extension or the ‘421A’ tax abatement program?  Yankees’ player, Alex Rodriguez, practically gets a free ride while our senior centers are decimated,” Council Member Jumaane Williams said.

(YWN Desk – NYC)