City Hall, NY – Ahead of the City Council’s Executive Budget hearing jointly held by the Committee on Aging and the Committee on Finance on Monday at 12 PM, the Council identified remaining gaps in funding for older adult services within the Mayor’s Fiscal Year 2026 Executive Budget. While some funding requested in the Council’s Preliminary Budget Response was restored to continue several older adult programs at their current level and restore earlier budget cuts by the mayor, with $128.3 million added to the Department for Aging in the Mayor’s Executive Budget, several investments remain unfunded. These include an enhancement of case management that connects seniors to vital services, expanded access to home-delivered meals amidst increasing food insecurity, and upgrading older adult centers.
Older adults are the fastest-growing age group in the city and face significant barriers to aging in place, such as food insecurity and access to essential support services. These challenges have been exacerbated in the past few years by the pandemic, social isolation, the increased cost of living, and the mayoral administration’s budget cuts to older adult services. Additionally, at a time when the Trump administration is threatening deep federal spending cuts that would harm communities, it’s more important than ever for the City to invest in critical programs that support older New Yorkers.
The following programs were outlined in the Council’s Preliminary Budget Response, but were left out of the Mayor’s FY26 Executive Budget:
Case Management Enhancement
The Council has proposed adding $6.3 million to the Department for the Aging’s budget to enhance case management programs. Case management agencies, contracted through DFTA, provide assessments and link homebound seniors with services, including home-delivered meals (HDMs), home care, information and referrals, and other supportive programs. Case management services for older adults are provided through referrals from older adult centers, HDM providers, hospitals, and other community-based social services and health care agencies. An investment of $6.3 million in baselined funding can fully address the level of demand for this program and clear the case management waitlist, which had approximately 500 people on it at the end of FY 2024, and to better assist in high-need cases where more attention is required.
Home-Delivered Meals Reimbursement Rate Increase
Many older adults are food insecure, relying on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and food pantries to meet their nutritional needs. The Department for the Aging’s HDM program provides an essential nutritional safety net for homebound older adults in need. In the FY 2025 Adopted Budget, the reimbursement rate for the HDM program was increased by $1.00 per meal, bringing the rate to $13.78 per meal. Yet, providers facing rising food and fixed costs have continued to express concern about HDM reimbursement rates being too low. Providers estimate that the current average cost of a meal is $15.31, $1.53 more per meal than they are reimbursed through their city contracts. The Council has proposed an increase in the per meal reimbursement rate for HDMs to account for the providers’ actual costs. Increasing the baseline funding by $7.3 million annually will enable the HDM providers to better serve older adults.
Home-Delivered Meals Weekend Expansion
For many older adults, HDMs are not only their only real meal of the day, but also their only social interaction. Expanding the availability of HDMs to include weekends would ensure that homebound older adults have access to meals and are checked on daily by providers. The Council has proposed an additional $20.6 million in baselined funding to the Department’s budget for the delivery of HDMs on Saturdays and Sundays, bringing service up from five to seven days each week.
NORC Enhancement
Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORCs) are apartment buildings or housing developments that are home to a significant older adult population, though not purposefully intended for older adults. NORCs provide essential services to older adults, including case management, benefits assistance, healthcare management, health promotion programs, and nursing services. These programs aim to promote better physical and mental health for older adults who are vulnerable due to being homebound or isolated. The Council has proposed an additional $5.7 million in baselined funding to the Department for the Aging’s budget for NORCs, bringing it up to $14.4 million, to expand the reach of the current program and to improve services at the 60 NORCs operated across the City.
Older Adult Center Funding Enhancement
Older adult center providers have expressed concerns about the infrastructure needs at many centers citywide, especially in their kitchens. Without needed upgrades, providers will increasingly be forced to rely more heavily on outsourcing food preparation, which is both more expensive and less nutritious. Investing further in the Department’s Capital Plan would ensure the agency’s ability to effectively deliver much-needed services and programming to the City’s older adult population. The Council has proposed an increase in capital funding for older adult centers by adding $50 million to the Department’s Capital Plan.
Council- Funded Initiatives for Older Adults
The Council’s funding initiatives address service gaps across the city that help connect older adults with resources, socialization, and ensure that older New Yorkers can age in place. The $28.9 million for these various initiatives support programs like Information and Referral Services, LGBTQIA+ Older Adult Services in Every Borough, and Social Adult Day Care. It is critical that this funding, left out of the Mayor’s Executive Budget, is included in the final budget through a continued full commitment towards Council discretionary funding.
“NYC Aging’s programs and services keep communities afloat by providing vital resources and connecting millions of New Yorkers with contracted service providers. The current presidential administration has been actively dismantling the services older adults across the country rely on. Now more than ever, it’s critical that New York City steps up to fill in the gaps and ensure essential services reach some of our most vulnerable populations,” said Council Member Crystal Hudson, Chair of the Aging Committee. “The Administration’s fiscal priorities must reflect the urgent need to invest directly in our city’s 1.8 million older adults; the fastest-growing population in New York. Over the past decade, our older adult population has grown by more than 30%, and it’s expected to increase by another 40% by 2040. Yet we are not prepared to meet even the basic needs of this community. Poverty and financial insecurity are rising among older New Yorkers, adding to the challenges they already face.”
Council Member Hudson continued, “This is a moment for meaningful investment, a chance to show our older adults that we value their contributions to our lives and to this city. The proposed budget cuts—nearly $83 million from NYC Aging—would lead to increased isolation, heightened health risks, and reduced access to food and services. We have a chance to prevent these outcomes and guarantee a dignified aging experience for all New Yorkers by strengthening and expanding NYC Aging’s resources. I look forward to continuing to advocate for older adults alongside Speaker Adams and my colleagues to ensure aging New Yorkers across all five boroughs have the support they need to age in place with dignity.”
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