Speaker Adrienne Adams, Advocates, and Seniors Celebrate First-of-Its-Kind Funding Initiative for Older Adult Centers

 

Council’s $5 million allocation for repairs and infrastructure upgrades will make older adult centers safer and more accessible for seniors 

New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, advocates, and seniors celebrated the Council’s first-ever capital funding initiative to support older adult centers across the city in need of renovations and repairs. The Council allocated $5 million in the City’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 budget for the initiative to support making centers safer and more accessible to New Yorkers they serve. Many centers require building fixes and upgrades, including repairs to bathrooms, floors, HVAC systems, kitchens, accessibility improvements, appliances, furniture, and other infrastructure needs. 

“Seniors are the jewels of our communities, and it’s critical that we invest in the resources and services that meet their needs,” said Speaker Adrienne Adams. “The Council is proud to allocate $5 million in the city budget to fund improvements and repairs for older adult centers, including centers in my district in Southeast Queens. With New York City’s older adult population growing, and essential benefits for our seniors under attack by the Trump administration, it remains vital that our city steps up its support for our elders. I thank my Council colleagues, advocates, and all stakeholders for their partnership to ensure our seniors can age in place with dignity and grace.” 

This funding comes after the Council advocated for increased resources for older adult centers in its FY 2026 Preliminary Budget Response and secured several restorations and baselined services for older adults in the Fiscal Year 2026 budget. These include $104.5 million in baselined funding to ensure continuity of older adult services, in addition to nearly $5 million baselined to increase home delivered meals reimbursement rates, and $2 million for case management.  

Older adult centers provide critical services for the city’s rapidly growing older adult population, including meals for those facing food insecurity, health and wellness programs, and a place for older New Yorkers to connect and thrive. They help combat isolation and financial insecurity through meal services, social events, and other assistance programs, so that older New Yorkers can age with dignity in their own neighborhoods. New York City’s 65-and-older population has grown by nearly half a million in the last two decades, an increase of over 50 percent. Overall, one in five of the city’s older adult population is living in poverty. Over the last decade, older adults receiving cash assistance grew from 10% to 15% of the total population. Additionally, many older adults report feeling high levels of loneliness.