Advocacy
A Year to Be Thankful For
By Maddy Bynes, Special to Never Too Late
These increased funds not only help us to sustain programming that we increased during the pandemic, but help us to pilot an entirely new housing assistance program throughout the state. According to the Department of Economic Security, older adults are some of the most vulnerable and at- risk populations for homelessness and housing insecurity. With the increased costs of housing coupled with the largely stagnant Social Security income over the past decade, older adults are trying to do much more with much less. These limited housing assistance funds will help older adults to find the affordable housing that they need. This amazing advocacy over the past year has really paid off, and we need to keep that momentum going! Looking to the next legislative session, we need to work with Governor Hobbs and the State Legislature to turn this increased one-time funding into on-going funding. Over the next year, we will have several large funding challenges. One-time COVID-19 stimulus funding expires in September 2024, meaning a loss of several million dollars for PCOA and much more statewide. It’s not just our state legislature where we need your help. The recent stalemate in Congress sheds light on an ever-growing issue in our
As we reflect on the past year, we are overwhelmed with gratitude for the tremendous strides we've made together as a community. Your unwavering support and dedication have propelled us forward, creating a year filled with remarkable achievements and heartening moments. As we look towards 2024, we see a future that is brighter and healthier than our past few years have been, but we need your help in accomplishing that goal. Make sure you stay current on your COVID-19 boosters this winter season, as well as the flu, RSV, Shingles, and Pneumonia, to ensure that we don’t backslide as a community! Visit vaccines.gov to learn where you can get your booster shot as soon as possible. This year, we’ve also been grateful for your tireless advocacy efforts. It was with your strong voice and help that we were able to receive an additional $10 million for the Area Agencies on Aging statewide, resulting in over $1.5 million coming into Pima County for services for older adults in our community! These funds are split between two one-time categories of service: general Area Agency on Aging support and housing assistance.
politics. Increased partisanship and unwillingness to work across the aisle, or sometimes with-in the aisle, only hurts us all. We need a federal budget that will support older adults, not eliminate funding for our crucial programs. This month, the federal government will consider how to keep the government open. One thing is clear, the need for Older Americans Act services is not going away. We need to tell Members of Congress the critical importance of how the budget impacts older adults in our community. Your voice is valuable and we need your support to continue to have success. Please visit advocate.pcoa.org today to write letters to your Members of Congress and Legislators.
Page 30 | November/December 2023, Never Too Late
Pima Council on Aging
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