Christian Costines testifies for SNAP Eastern Queens

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Okay.

Distinguished Chairs, Joann, Hanif, and Lee, and any other council members, thank you so much for this hearing and for the ability to testify.

My name is Christian Costines.

I'm a case assistance worker at SNAP of Eastern Queens Older Adult Center, representing Paola Maselli, our chief executive officer.

For services now for adult persons.

We're also known as SNAP for short.

We've been around 45 years providing social services, social service organization under DIFTA, and it serves and hosts ethnically and economically diverse older adult population of Queens.

And also their caregivers and friends and family.

We provide hot meals, both in the building and transported for people who are homebound.

We have health and wellness programs, educational, recreational programs, trips to city events, and case assistance.

We also have a case management program as well and home delivered meals.

The meal that many of our seniors get, the warm meal, is often the only warm meal that they can afford or will have.

Many of our low-income adults find them

in need of programs like SCRI, but they're ineligible because the residences are not on the list of rent regulated buildings.

Instead, they live in private houses that they own or rent, or they are in naturally occurring retirement communities known as NORCs.

Where their complexes have a mix of the eligible rent regulated apartments and ineligible rent unregulated apartments.

So any steps to simplify the application process for screen?

Time has expired.

Well, long story short, we are in support of the proposals to simplify

the application process and to raise the threshold of eligibility for SCRI and DRI.

And thank you for all that you do.

And God bless you.

Thank you.

Next, we have Barbara Jones.

Barbara Jones, are you here?

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You may begin.

Yes.

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