More Long Island seniors facing poverty, statewide study shows

Long Island’s population is getting older, and more seniors are struggling with poverty, according to a new statewide study by the Center for an Urban Future.

The study by the nonprofit Manhattan think tank examined the latest data through 2022 and found at least a 24% increase in adults 65 and older in Nassau and Suffolk counties, with the number of seniors in both counties living below the poverty line increasing over the past decade.

The report, released this month, was funded with support from AARP.

Seniors account for 19% of the population in Nassau and 18% of residents in Suffolk, according to the study. The poverty rate among seniors in Nassau was reported at 5.5% and in Suffolk was 5.7%.

The study accounted for 14,600 Nassau seniors reporting poverty, increasing by 78%, and 15,692 Suffolk seniors reporting poverty, increasing by 48%, between 2012 and 2022.

The study also found at least 45% of seniors in both counties did not have any retirement savings.

“Long Island’s population is aging rapidly, but far too many of these older New Yorkers are financially insecure and struggling to make ends meet," the think tank’s executive director, Jonathan Bowles, said in a statement with the report. "We’re going to see thousands more older adults fall into poverty unless state leaders act now to address affordability challenges facing so many older adults."

Nonprofits see increase

The study found that statewide, the number of seniors 65 and older reporting poverty jumped by 50%. In the same period in the past decade, the poverty rate for adults under 65 fell by 22%, according to the study.

Long Island did not rank among the top 10 regions in the state with the highest senior poverty rates; the Bronx was highest at 24%.

More social agencies are seeing an increase of seniors in need, especially in available affordable housing, advocates said.

Huntington-based Family Service League is donation- and government-funded and has been assisting families and seniors for nearly a century.

"A lot of people don’t realize how many seniors are living below the poverty line and how widespread this issue is," said Robyn Berger-Gaston, the division director of senior services.

Cost challenges

Many seniors are struggling with needs such as housing, food, transportation, car repairs and home health care, Berger-Gaston said.

"I think a lot of people are struggling with costs related to housing, not only for seniors but for people across the board," she said. "The biggest challenge is finding affordable housing for seniors. People have to be more open to sharing housing. Also, with the lack of affordable housing stock, I don’t know how we’re going to resolve that."

The poverty levels among seniors on Long Island were representative across the state, said Beth Finkel, AARP state director for New York. She said one in five New Yorkers is 65 or older, and the number of seniors has grown by 30% in the past decade.

"It's very jarring to see these numbers and seeing the increase of the cost of food. It literally puts the population between a rock and a hard place," Finkel said.

AARP called for an increase in public services, such as removing the age cap on the earned income tax credit for low-income workers, which runs out at 65, Finkel said.

She said seniors are not fully accessing many benefits, including Medicare Savings Programs.

"Everyone’s talking about affordability, and people are definitely struggling with rapidly increasing poverty rates and the high costs of utilities," Finkel said. "If we know 50% of people did not have retirement income, what choice do they have to but to keep working?"

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.