Lynch says lack of MOUs and leases delays capital projects
Lynch says none of their current locations have a place of assembly, and many OACs in NYCHA facilities lack formal MOUs or leases. This affects their ability to make improvements, and capital projects can be delayed. OACs are often written up by NYC Aging and FDNY while older adults lose out.
Another challenge we face is none of the current locations have a place of assembly, and many of our older adult centers operating in NITRA facilities do not have formal MOUs or lease agreements in place.
These issues may sound like paperwork or administrative matters, but they affect our ability to make improvements in our centers.
Without proper agreements, capital projects can be delayed or cannot move forward, and OACs are often written up by New York City Aging and FDNY.
And once again, our older adults are the ones who lose out.
We see that our centers could be.
We see the improvements that could be made.
We see the potential to create a brighter, safer, and comfortable space.
But too often, we find ourselves spending more time trying to navigate the system and getting answers than actually moving forward with these improvements.
As providers, we want to focus our energy on the people we serve.
We want to create programs that make them happy, keep them active, support their independence, and give them somewhere to look forward to.
We should not have to spend so much time trying to fight the basic building issues and address these issues.
Our staff should not have to constantly find ways to work around the problems and should be able to have them resolved.