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LeadingAge NY Urges Governor to Prioritize Affordable Senior Housing for Broadband Expansion

Last week, LeadingAge NY President and CEO Jim Clyne submitted a letter to Governor Hochul urging the State to prioritize connectivity for low-income seniors and other vulnerable populations living in affordable housing as it plans to distribute more than $1 billion in State and federal funds to expand broadband infrastructure and access.

Many affordable housing properties lack wall-to-wall internet, negatively impacting property operations and – more importantly – resident wellbeing. With limited opportunities to access the internet, low-income older adults and other vulnerable New Yorkers living in subsidized housing have largely been excluded from digital advances in telemedicine and socialization that could help them stay healthy and avoid more costly levels of care during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Outfitting entire multifamily properties receiving subsidy would leverage existing public investment to optimize the direct benefit of broadband expansion funds on target demographics and, in addition, would result in lasting improvements for future low-income renters, the letter notes.

Read our full letter here, and be sure lawmakers get the message loud and clear by sending your own letter asking them to direct broadband capital and other critical funding to affordable senior housing in this year’s State budget.

In addition, all senior service providers and their residents are encouraged to take this short survey from the State Department of Public Service by Fri., March 18th to help determine where and why broadband expansion is most desperately needed in your communities.

Contact: Annalyse Komoroske Denio, akomoroskedenio@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8866