For Immediate Release
Contact: Leanne Ricchiuti, Overit for Association for Community Living, 518.222.8073
January 17, 2024
RELEASE
Association For Community Living Statement on Governor Hochul’s Budget Announcement
(Albany, N.Y.) – The Association for Community Living (ACL) Executive Director, Sebrina Barrett provides the following statement in response to yesterday’s state budget announcement for FY2025, as delivered by Governor Hochul.
“ACL represents 40,000 New Yorkers, and advocates for their mental health; a cost of living increase of a mere 1.5% for those who help provide that care is just simply not enough.
In the Governor’s Budget Address, she stressed that mental health is a priority…and that there wouldn’t be any cuts. However, by only including a 1.5% COLA, it is a cut to funding because it doesn’t allow mental health housing providers to keep pace with inflation. This is how providers got into such a desperate place over the course of the last few decades, which Governor Hochul recognized in her remarks.
We are thankful that Governor Hochul has identified mental health as a priority and that some investment continues, but we can’t support a workforce on just 1.5 percent. We can’t enhance our outdated funding and staffing models to help us care for residents who are aging in place. We can’t provide improved care for individuals who are navigating heightened challenges due to substance use, prior unhoused status, or incarceration. We can’t provide better care for those with medical concerns or other significant issues.
We can’t agree with 1.5% COLA increase.
We need a full 3.2% COLA, along with meaningful investments to enhance our outdated models and make up for last year’s partially-funded COLA. Additionally, we’re seeking an investment of $230 million to enhance staffing needed to serve residents with heightened challenges, provide resources to ensure security and safety, and pay staff an adequate wage to address ongoing recruitment and retention challenges. We will continue to work with the legislature and the Chairs of the Mental Health Committees and advocate harder, in hopes that the COLA can be more than 1.5% in the enacted budget.”
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