New Bill Fights Food Inequity Among Low-Income Seniors

LOWER EAST SIDE, NY — A new bill aimed at fighting food inequity among low-income seniors was introduced in the City Council this month.

Councilmember Margaret Chin, who represents Lower Manhattan, Chinatown and the Lower East Side, is floating the legislation to help low-income, older New Yorkers access the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, often called food stamps.

"My bill will expand the nutritional safety net by pinpointing those seniors who are eligible for SNAP, but are not aware of the program," Chin, who chairs the Committee on Aging in the Council, said in a statement.

About three in 10 seniors eligible for SNAP are not enrolled for the program in New York State, according to the National Council on Aging.

The bill, a part of City Council Speaker Corey Johnson's strategy to fight food inequity, would require the Department of Social Services, which includes the Human Resources Administration, to work with the Department for the Aging to investigate what barriers are keeping seniors from enrolling — like mobility issues, social isolation and language barriers.

The outreach program created under the legislation would work to meet seniors where they already spend time and address various barriers, such as language issues, according to Chin's office.

Currently, the Department for the Aging, or DFTA, has an in-house learning center to train service providers how to use ACCESS NYC, the city's screening tool to apply for benefits, a DFTA spokesperson said.

At senior centers, staffers work with new members to determine SNAP eligibility, outreach activities are conducted at centers and residential buildings were mostly seniors live, and the department also promotes SNAP at fairs and events, according to DFTA.

The bill, sponsored by Chin and Councilmember Ben Kallos, would enhance those efforts, Chin's spokesperson said.

In the Lower East Side and Chinatown, there are more than 30,000 people ages 60 and older — and most who are eligible for SNAP are not receiving it, according to the executive director of the Cooper Square Committee Steve Herrick.

"Language barriers, social isolation and mobility issues are significant factors in under-enrollment," said Herrick. "Our organization does outreach and enroll scores of seniors every year, but the city needs to do much more to publicize SNAP and enroll seniors to combat food insecurity."