Kevin Kaprowski (Live On NY) on senior housing gaps in Block by Block
Kaprowski notes older adults are mentioned only twice in the plan, warns that the 1,000-unit senior guarantee is unclear on which program it falls under, that SARA financing has stalled due to Section 8 shortfall, and urges the city not to abandon 100% senior housing in favor of multi-generational models.
Good afternoon, Chair Sanchez.
Thank you so much for the opportunity to testify, and thank you for putting me back in the loop when I stepped out for a second.
My name is Kevin Kaprowski, and I'm the Director of Public Policy at Live On New York.
We are an organization that represents over 110 community-based nonprofits that provide services under the NYCHA aging portfolio, and we represent most of the senior housing developers in the city.
In the block-by-block proposal, older adults are mentioned two times, one with a commitment to build 1,000 senior units a year, and two in a multi-generational housing proposal.
I want to start with some background.
We have heard many analyses that older adults are somehow richer than the general population and do not need additional considerations or support, but the reality is the opposite.
A small group of older Americans may control a huge swath of wealth, but over 50% of older New Yorkers have no retirement savings whatsoever.
Older adults are most acutely impacted by the housing crisis, affordability crisis, and our broken medical system.
Older adults are the fastest growing homeless population, both locally and nationally, and we are concerned that the current housing plan does not recognize the reality of older New Yorkers'lives and is abandoning key programs and supports our older neighbors need to remain in their homes.
One, the...
1,000-unit guarantee.
It is not clear under which program that guarantee moves into.
We have actually heard that because Section 8 is in a drought, they will no longer be financing new SARA programs until they can get guarantees for Section 8.
We are recommending that the SARA program is guaranteed in some form through the drought, as they've done with other program areas, because older adults are definitely in need of housing that can combine different service areas, and you can only get those efficiencies in 100% senior housing.
The second thing is we need increased serving funding and programming for senior housing citywide.
Right now, the only funding is a 30% homeless set-aside service funding for the entire 100% of people in the building.
That is not working.
And secondarily, the existing home care crisis means we need to be funding alternative ways to take care of older people in New York.
Next, if we're developing multi-generational housing, we need a focus on older people.
Because right now, when we're reading the plan and speaking to people about multi-generational, it seems like the only plan we're hearing is to prevent the development of 100% senior housing.
May I finish?
I have a little bit.
Which is something we are against because we do believe older adults benefit when all affordable housing is built, but we need specific housing for older adults.
And the last thing we need to say is that we believe the administration needs to analyze the data around older adult housing.
Any analysis that does not recognize the acute crisis of older adult homelessness does not convey an accurate picture of need.
The administration must show that they know the on-the-ground reality and make their decisions with that reality at the fore.
Thank you so much for the opportunity to testify.