NYC’S DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES SERVICES
- State legislators must seek a partial restoration of OPWDD’s Aid to Localities funds to preserve vital city services.
- New York City must restore, at least partially, its funding for services for people with developmental disabilities.
- New York City must expedite the execution of its contracts.
For more than a half-century NYC DOHMH has been the agency responsible for providing services to city residents with developmental disabilities. The city funds work readiness programs, transitional employment, respite, therapeutic recreation, home care, summer activities, counseling, information and referral, and remedial education for adults.
New York City programs are a safety net for many people who have developmental disabilities but don’t meet OPWDD eligibility or Medicaid waiver requirements. These individuals rely on city services. They have no alternatives.
DOHMH’s developmental disabilities services are funded by both city and state. The state’s contribution, funded through OPWDD’s “Aid to Localities” line, remained fairly constant until the recent fiscal crisis, during which, millions were slashed. Now the Executive is proposing to cut millions more.
The city’s contribution, on the other hand, has shrunk drastically over the last decade. Even in good fiscal years, the city relentlessly reduced its contribution so that when the fiscal crisis struck, there was no funding left for many vital programs. While there have been occasional funding add-ons from City Council, these were for special projects and were for one year only.
From a high of $20 million in 2003, total funding for city programs is about to plunge to less than $8 million! See for yourself the damage wrought by these cuts:
Fiscal Year Total Funding Total Vocational Programs Total Family Support Programs Total other (clinics, LD) 2010 $13,077,674 19 45 11 2011 $12,071,371 14 43 10 2012 $10,137,054 13 41 9 2013 projected $7,950,155 10 38 2 Total Changes -$5,127,519 -9 -7 -9Source: Bronx Development Disabilities Council position paper 2012
In 2013 the city’s contribution will have dwindled to $3.3 million—the equivalent of a mere 41 cents per year from each resident! New York City has all but turned its back on its residents with developmental disabilities.
This year’s impending Aid to Localities cut will eviscerate what is left of DOHMH services. We especially fear for people who are ineligible for OPWDD services and will be stripped of their only supports. We urge our city and state legislators to fight to restore funding, at least partially, for city services for people with developmental disabilities.