CATHERINE M. LOZADA
All the effort to save some local senior centers has paid off.
Legislation adopted by the New York State Assembly will provide funding to keep operations open at many city senior centers, including SelfHelp Maspeth Senior Center and Woodside Senior Center in Queens.
“We fought hard to restore critical programs that had been chopped out of the Governor’s Executive Spending Plan – and we won. Our budget restorations have preserved funding for such vital programs as senior centers for some of the city’s most deserving citizens,” said Assemblymember Marge Markey.
The funds were included in emergency extender legislation that was adopted as part of a budget package that includes over $325 million in reductions to human services ($175million) and mental hygiene ($150.2 million) programs for the coming year while restoring funding to vital local services.
These include restoration of full discretionary Title XX funding that will help save some city senior center services. More than a third of centers in the city depend on this funding for their operations. The restorations also included $72.7 million in Temporary Aid to Needy Families initiatives, which will help fund the Summer Youth Employment, Career Pathways, Advantage Schools and SUNY/CUNY Child Care programs.
"The severe economic downturn and this unprecedented fiscal crisis have forced us to accept reductions to programs and services we deeply believe in. However, I am proud that we were able to win restorations that will keep senior centers open and restore critical funding for our youth," Markey said.
