NEW YORK, NY – Today, City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn and Council Member Oliver Koppell visited to Riverdale Senior Services to announce the Council has increased funding for the City Department for the Aging in Fiscal Year 2013 to ensure all centers are kept open and that vital services were maintained. In the City’s adopted budget, the Council put in a total of $17,196,000 for senior services.

The Council has:
• Increased restorations from $3.6 million to 4 million to DFTA for Case Management .
• Re-initiated the Social Adult Day Care Programs, which had been eliminated in FY10, with $400,000. This allocation restores funding for social adult day care programs, which provide nonmedical adult day care services to individuals with cognitive or physical limitations.
The Council has also restored funding to DFTA for:
• Senior Center Closures ($1,496,000) – This allocation was key in maintaining all senior centers open.
• CityMeals on Wheels (We restored $1,000,000 to), which provides home-delivered meals to seniors on the weekends and on holidays.
• Elder Abuse Programs ($800,000) – This funding for Elder Abuse programs is key in protecting our seniors and facilitates our District Attorneys in seeking prosecution. Had we not stepped-in, this program would have been eliminated entirely.
• NORC Supportive Service Program ($900,000) – This allocation restores funding for the Naturally Occurring Retirement Community Supportive Service Program (NORC SSP). This program provides services to seniors who live in NORCs, including social services, medical services, educational/recreational services and volunteer opportunities.
• Senior Center Core Operating Costs ($1,496.000) – This allocation restores funding for both meals and operating costs of senior centers citywide
• Space Costs for Senior Centers ($1,500,000)
• Transportation Operating Costs ($2,000,000: transporting seniors and their meals.

The Council also restored $4,100,000 to the Borough Presidents’ Discretionary Funding to facilitate helping senior services in their respective boroughs: senior centers, meals, case management, homecare, transportation, and other services.

[CQ Quote]

[CM Koppell Quote]

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