You are reading

City to Invest $58 Million in Senior Services, Open 25 Centers as Part of Five-Year Plan

A senior center in Manhattan, shown here in 2016 (Edwin J. Torres/Mayoral Photo Office)

April 14, 2021 By Allie Griffin

The city will invest $58 million to expand services for seniors to help them stay in their own homes, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Wednesday.

The money will be invested in the first year of de Blasio’s five-year “Community Care Plan” for older New Yorkers.

The plan calls for the creation of 25 additional senior centers across the five boroughs — specifically in communities with large aging populations that are currently underserved — as well as additional program staff, transportation services and outreach efforts.

De Blasio didn’t say what specific neighborhoods the new senior centers would be placed in.

The 25 new senior centers, also known as Older Adults Centers (OACs), will be funded by the NYC Department for the Aging. The department currently funds nearly 250 senior centers citywide.

Senior center membership is free and open to anyone 60 or older. The centers offer activities and services like transportation services, technology classes, benefits screenings, walking clubs, yoga and dance classes, art classes, free lunches, recreational trips and holiday celebrations.

The city will release a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the new senior centers as one of the first steps in the five-year plan. However, city officials didn’t say when they would release the RFP.

The Community Care Plan will also increase existing services that help older adults to remain in their homes and avoid institutionalization.

Department for the Aging Commissioner Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez said now more than ever the city should invest in efforts to allow seniors to age in their own homes.

“The pandemic highlighted the detrimental effects that living in institutions had on both older adults and their families,” Cortés-Vázque said in a statement. “This investment in Community Care will provide the continuum of services, safety net and community network that older New Yorkers need to continue living in their homes, communities and among their loved ones.”

The program announcement was praised by local legislators in Queens, where roughly 16 percent of residents are 65 and older.

“We have continually worked to improve the quality of life for our seniors and today we stand together to once again make clear that New York City is reflecting the needs of our rapidly booming senior population,” Council Member Paul Vallone said. “This investment is crucial during the pandemic to assist older New Yorkers in being able to live in their homes near friends and family.”

email the author: news@queenspost.com
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Catch the fall vibe at these western Queens breweries

Sep. 3, 2025 By Jessica Militello

September rings in the start of Oktoberfest from mid-September through October, featuring special brews, fun events and more fall fun. Western Queens is filled with breweries to enjoy seasonal brews, fall flavors and the start of cooler weather as Autumn approaches, making it a perfect time to meet up with friends at these local spaces.

Op-Ed | Four years after Hurricane Ida, Queens deserves real climate resilience

Sep. 2, 2025 By Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas

Four years ago, Hurricane Ida tore through our neighborhoods of East Elmhurst, Corona and Jackson Heights, leaving behind devastation we will never forget. We lost neighbors to the floodwaters. Families saw their homes destroyed, their basements wiped out, their lives upended. Immigrant families—so many of them undocumented—were hit the hardest, often excluded from relief altogether. Ida was not just a storm; it was a wake-up call.

Fall fun in western Queens: Your guide to the best seasonal events

Aug. 29, 2025 By Jessica Militello

With beach days and summer BBQs behind us, the start of September rings in the start of magnificent Fall foliage, Halloween and more fun activities that come with the start of Autumn, including a list of Fall events in the area. From apple picking to seasonal ciders and more, there is tons to explore in the community. From Mystic Markets to scary movie meet-ups and more, here is a list of Fall events you do not want to miss.

Fresh Meadows MS-13 gang associate sentenced to nearly a half-century in prison for murder of Corona teen in Kissena Park: Feds

An MS-13 gang associate from Fresh Meadows was sentenced to 45 years in federal prison on Tuesday, Aug. 26, for the 2018 slaying of a Corona teenager in Flushing’s Kissena Park.

Juan Amaya-Ramirez, 27, and his co-defendant Oscar Flores-Mejia, 25, from Elmhurst, who is also an associate of the transnational criminal organization, pleaded guilty to the murder of 17-year-old Andy Peralta in Brooklyn federal court last September.