New York State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Chair of the Committee on Aging Steven Cymbrowitz today announced the Assembly will continue to honor its commitment to New York State's aging population by restoring funding for Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORC) and Neighborhood Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NNORC). In addition to renewing $951,000 in funding, the Assembly's SFY 2016-17 budget proposal includes an additional $2 million to expand these important community based programs.

"Seniors are a vital part of New York communities," said Speaker Heastie. "That means we need to make sure they have the support they need to stay in their homes and communities, not pull resources and funding out from under them. The Assembly will not shortchange our aging community. We remain committed to supporting senior communities across New York State."

The Assembly budget proposal also restores $118,000 in funding for items that were eliminated from the Executive Budget including:

• $86,000 for the Foundation for Senior Citizen Home Sharing and Respite; and
• $32,000 for the Statewide Senior Action Council

"New York State's senior population is growing rapidly and seniors are living longer in the community," said Assemblymember Cymbrowitz. "My Assembly colleagues and I believe strongly that this is not the time to cut funding from our aging population but to instead support every effort to keep seniors in their homes and as independent as possible."

The Assembly also proposes modifications in the eligibility and requirements for NORC and NNORC programs, including:

• Changing the required minimum and maximum senior population for NORCs and NNORCs;
• Changing the types of buildings that can participate as a NORC or NNORC;
• Allowing the program to supplement services from other local entities to meet the residents' needs;
• Lowering the match requirements to 25 percent of state grant funding, with half of the match to be raised from the community served; and
• Requiring a report on or before March 1, 2018, and every five years thereafter