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www.cusimanoandrussofuneralhome.com
Michael G. Rizzotto, Manager
COURIER L 14 IFE, FEBRUARY 4-10, 2022
‘What NYers 50+
Deserve’ lays out
fresh blueprint for
NYC lawmakers
From ways to fi ght age discrimination
to installing elevators at
more subway stations, “What
New Yorkers 50+ Deserve,” released
by AARP New York, is a groundbreaking
and fi rst-ever policy guide
fi lled with recommendations to help
city offi cials address these and other
vital issues facing older New York
City residents.
“This book is meant as a North
Star—a model to help the new administration
make sure that the
needs of people 50-plus are met—
because they are often overlooked,”
said AARP New York State Director
Beth Finkel. “They helped build our
city and make it the great place that
it is.”
“With this guide, the Mayor and
everyone in city government can
help New Yorkers 50-plus live their
best lives,” Finkel added. “We’re
talking about 750,000 New York
City AARP members and who have
suffered during the pandemic due
to their vulnerability to the virus,
housing costs and inadequate coordination
of services among agencies.”
The 60-page policy book—the
fi rst-ever guide from AARP NY—
contains 80 recommendations to improve
life for the city’s residents, including
empowering a deputy mayor
to lead the charge to safeguard older
residents and ensure they are aware
of all services available to them.
AARP staff created this blueprint
because a clear and comprehensive
plan for New York’s 50-plus was long
overdue. The policy book also underscores
that the New York City
Department for the Aging receives
less than one percent of the city
budget when 20 percent of New York
City residents are age 65 and older.
The book draws on AARP research
and policy work, including
“Disrupting Racial & Ethnic Disparities,”
a series of policy briefs detailing
substantial challenges faced
by older New Yorkers.
Older adults are the driving
force in New York City’s economy,
cultural life and civic engagement.
They account for the city’s biggest
volunteer base and represent the
largest voter turnout bloc. Yet they
face significant hardships. For example,
78 percent of workers aged
40-65 say they have seen or experienced
age discrimination in the
workplace. More than half of city
voters age 50-plus are concerned
about affordable housing. A lack of
accessible transportation has disproportionately
affected 50-plus
Black, Latino and Asian New Yorkers.
And 42 percent of New Yorkers
age 65-plus lack internet access—
nearly double the 23 percent of those
age 18 to 24.
Recommendations in the policy
book include:
Updating the city’s zoning codes
and planning processes to require
more affordable senior housing;
Prohibiting online job application
systems that require age information
unless the employer can
demonstrate need for that information;
Renaming the Department for
The Aging to reflect the vibrancy of
New York’s older adults;
Offering Human Resources Administration
training so older
adults can easily navigate and apply
for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program (SNAP);
Expanding and improving zoning
rules that allow the Metropolitan
Transportation Authority to leverage
private development to build
elevators at more New York City
Transit stations, and throughout
Staten Island Railway, Long Island
Railroad, and Metro-North stations;
Devoting more pedestrianfriendly
street space, building upon
the successes of the Open Streets
program;
Expanding geriatric mental
health services to every NYC Health
+ Hospitals facility.
Establishing a New York City
Caregiver Tax Credit for unpaid
family caregivers, who often spend
thousands of dollars a year caring
for loved ones.
Fully funding the City’s fiveyear
Community Care Plan, which
expands access to senior centers
and aging-related services in underserved
communities.
“What New Yorkers 50+ Deserve”
is available online at www.aarp.
org/nycpolicybook. AARP staff and
volunteers will share hard copies
of the book and meet with leaders
across the city to discuss policy solutions
and push for increased support
and attention to the issues and
recommendations outlined in the
policy book.
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Cusimano & Russo Funeral Home
SERVING THE COMMUNITY OF BROOKLYN FOR OVER 90 YEARS
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