use your voice for change
Testimony on Housing For 2025-2026 Executive Budget
Thank you, Chair Krueger and Chair Pretlow, for the opportunity to submit this testimony to the Joint Legislative Budget Hearing on Housing. This testimony is presented by Kevin M. Quinn, Managing Attorney at the Center for Elder Law & Justice. The Center for Elder Law & Justice (“CELJ”) has been serving the Western New York region for over 40 years, providing free civil legal services to older adults, persons with disabilities, and low-income families. CELJ’s primary goal is to use the legal system to assure that individuals may live independently and with dignity. CELJ also provides for policy and systems change, particularly in the areas of housing, elder abuse prevention, nursing home reform, and consumer protection. Currently, CELJ provides full legal representation in ten counties of Western New York. CELJ’s Free Senior Legal Advice Helpline is open to all of New York State. CELJ operates a central office in downtown Buffalo, with three additional offices in Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, and Niagara counties.
Testimony on Human Services for 2025-2026 Budget
Only a few jurisdictions in New York State have civil legal service providers with grants allowing them to provide the valuable service of no-cost representation to kinship caregivers. Parents, persons with an order of custody, and persons who are subjects of neglect and abuse petitions have a constitutional right to have counsel appointed to them if they cannot afford such. Kinship caregivers are not afforded this right
Testimony on Health/Medicaid for 2025-2026 Budget
The proposed Budget seeks in part to improve the health and well-being of every New Yorker, increase affordability and access to quality health care, and places emphasis on “putting money back in New Yorkers’ Pockets. The proposed Budget does include an additional $45 million for non-medical in-home services provided through the State Office for the Aging. However, overall, the proposed Budget fails to intentionally include a valuable part of our community, older adults. While the proposed Budget does not include deep cuts to Medicaid and eligibility that we have seen in prior years, the proposed Budget fails to invest in and support the right of older New Yorkers to age in place and with dignity.
Testimony on Public Protection for 2025-2026 Budget
Thank you, Chair Krueger, and Chair Pretlow, for the opportunity to submit this testimony to the Joint Legislative Budget Hearing on Public Protection. The Center for Elder Law & Justice (“CELJ”) has been serving the Western New York region for over 40 years, providing free civil legal services to older adults, persons with disabilities, and low- income families. CELJ’s primary goal is to use the legal system to ensure that individuals may live independently and with dignity. CELJ also advocates for policy and systems change, particularly in the areas of health care access, housing, elder abuse prevention, nursing home reform, and consumer protection. Currently CELJ provides full legal representation in ten counties of Western New York. CELJ’s Free Senior Legal Advice Helpline is open to all New York State. CELJ operates a central office in downtown Buffalo, with three additional offices in Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, and Niagara counties.
Statewide Central Register of Child Abuse and Maltreatment
Thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony today on the Statewide Central Register of Child Abuse and Maltreatment, and the reporting process. The Center for Elder Law & Justice (“CELJ”) has been serving the Western New York region for over 45 years, providing free civil legal services to older adults, persons with disabilities, and low-income families. CELJ’s primary goal is to use the legal system to ensure that individuals may live independently and with dignity. CELJ also advocates for policy and systems change, particularly in the areas of elder abuse prevention, nursing home reform, consumer protection, and housing reform. Currently, CELJ provides full legal representation in ten counties of Western New York. CELJ’s Free Senior Legal Advice Helpline is open to all of New York State.
JOINT LEGISLATIVE BUDGET HEARING ON PUBLIC PROTECTION
Thank you, Chair Krueger and Chair Weinstein, for the opportunity to submit this
testimony to the Joint Legislative Budget Hearing on Public Protection. We present this written
testimony on behalf of Karen Nicolson , CEO of the Center for Elder Law & Justice
2024-2025 Executive Budget Topic: Economic Development
The Center for Elder Law and Justice (CELJ) greatly appreciates the opportunity to provide our
comments to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee on Economic Development. CELJ has been
serving the Western New York region for over 40 years, providing free civil legal services to older
adults, persons with disabilities, and low- income families. CELJ’s primary goal is to use the legal
system to assure that individuals may live independently and with dignity. CELJ also advocates
for policy and systems change, particularly in the areas of housing, elder abuse prevention, nursing
home reform, and consumer protection. Currently CELJ provides full legal representation in ten
counties of Western New York. CELJ’s Free Senior Legal Advice Helpline is open to all of New
York State. CELJ operates a central office in downtown Buffalo, with three additional offices in
Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, and Niagara counties.
2024-2025 Executive Budget Topic: Human Services
Thank you, Chair Krueger and Chair Weinstein, for the opportunity to submit this testimony to the
Joint Legislative Budget Hearing on Public Protection. We present this written testimony on behalf
of Karen Nicolson, CEO of the Center for Elder Law & Justice. The Center for Elder Law &
Justice (“CELJ”) has been serving the Western New York region for over 40 years, providing free
civil legal services to older adults, persons with disabilities, and low- income families. CELJ’s
primary goal is to use the legal system to assure that individuals may live independently and with
dignity. CELJ also advocates for policy and systems change, particularly in the areas of housing,
elder abuse prevention, nursing home reform, and consumer protection. Currently CELJ provides
full legal representation in ten counties of Western New York. CELJ’s Free Senior Legal Advice
Helpline is open to all of New York State. CELJ operates a central office in downtown Buffalo,
with three additional offices in Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, and Niagara counties.
2024-2025 Executive Budget Topic: Housing
Thank you, Chair Krueger and Chair Weinstein, for the opportunity to submit this testimony to
the Joint Legislative Budget Hearing on Housing. This testimony is presented by Kevin M.
Quinn, Director of Impact Litigation at the Center for Elder Law & Justice. The Center for Elder
Law & Justice (“CELJ”) has been serving the Western New York region for over 40 years,
providing free civil legal services to older adults, persons with disabilities, and low-income
families. CELJ’s primary goal is to use the legal system to assure that individuals may live
independently and with dignity. CELJ also provides for policy and systems change, particularly
in the areas of housing, elder abuse prevention, nursing home reform, and consumer protection.
Currently, CELJ provides full legal representation in ten counties of Western New York. CELJ’s
Free Senior Legal Advice Helpline is open to all of New York State. CELJ operates a central
office in downtown Buffalo, with three additional offices in Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, and
Niagara counties.
2024-2025 Executive Budget Topic: Health
Thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony on the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Executive
Budget (“Executive Budget”). The Center for Elder Law & Justice (“CELJ”) has been serving the
Western New York region for over 40 years, providing free civil legal services to older adults,
persons with disabilities, and low-income families. CELJ’s primary goal is to use the legal system
to assure that individuals may live independently and with dignity. CELJ also advocates for policy
and systems change, particularly in the areas of housing, elder abuse prevention, nursing home
reform, and consumer protection. Currently CELJ provides full legal representation in ten counties
of Western New York.1 CELJ’s Free Senior Legal Advice Helpline is open to all of New York
State. CELJ operates a main office in downtown Buffalo, with three additional offices in
Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, and Niagara counties.
Resident Rights Advocacy Initiative
We want to hear from the community who have had personal experiences with nursing homes. In connecting with our community at large, we will be able to sharpen the tools we provide to residents that promote self-advocacy.
Advocating for Legislative Change to Improve Long-Term Care in New York State
The growing crisis of substandard care in nursing homes and adult care facilities is not new and has existed prior to the pandemic. New York has ignored the challenges older adults and people with disabilities have faced living in nursing homes and adult care facilities, such as abuse and neglect from insufficient staffing and lax infection control practices.
Write Letters to Your Representatives!
Have you ever written a letter to your government representative? If not, you should consider it! Elected officials are interested in what their constituents have to say. If there is a topic important to you, consider sending a brief letter to your local representative.