Rally at the Capitol: Hundreds of New York Disability Advocates Call on NYS to Enact CareForce Affordability

ALBANY, NY – Today, over 300 members of NYDA rallied in the NYS Capitol to urge Governor Hochul and lawmakers to meet their needs amid national policy changes and devastating inflation. Among the attendees were Assemblymember Angelo Santabarbara, Senator Patricia Fahy, representatives from non-profit provider agencies throughout the state, direct support professionals, family members, and people with I/DD. NYDA is pushing a new “CareForce Affordability Agenda” to meet the needs of those who work tirelessly to care for people with I/DD. NYDA called out national trends that impact care, funding for agencies, and workers.

To address these issues, NYDA is advocating for:

1. A 2.7% Targeted Inflationary Increase – Without additional funding to meet inflation, Medicaid reimbursement will continue to lag behind costs, leaving non-profit agencies unable to fairly compensate Direct Support Professionals (DSPs), maintain utilities, transportation, food, insurance, housing, and more.

1. CareForce Affordability Initiatives – Key proposals include establishing a CareForce Affordable Housing Lottery Preference, an Employer-Assisted Housing Matching Grant Program, and SONYMA CareForce incentives to expand homeownership opportunities. Additionally, funding for childcare centers, expanding the NYS Child Tax Credit for human services workers, and increasing healthcare coverage funding will help address the affordability challenges the workforce faces.

1. Infrastructure and Care System Investment – Strengthen the care system through targeted investments that modernize facilities serving people with I/DD. Priorities include climate-friendly upgrades to facilities, supporting innovative service models, and increasing funding to ensure providers can properly maintain homes for the individuals they serve.

Over the past five years, New York has provided a cumulative inflationary increase of 15.8% to providers, resulting in measurable improvements for provider agencies. Since 2021, frontline staff vacancies have decreased by 43.5%, staff turnover has decreased by 6.1% and statewide starting wages have increased by 28.6%. These numbers show what is possible when New York prioritizes the disability care system. Continued investment is necessary to build on this progress and avoid returning to the years of stagnation and funding cuts that led to a workforce crisis and a strained system.

DSPs work tremendously hard to support people with disabilities, and the work they do is the biggest draw to the field and the reason why most continue to work in the field. Despite this, many DSPs struggle with affordability in their daily lives. Half of DSPs experience food insecurity, and half experience housing insecurity. Although wages have increased steadily, more support is needed to ensure workforce stability. Investing in affordability for DSPs will directly benefit local economies throughout the state. When DSPs can afford to live and work in their communities, it reduces turnover and ensures consistent care for people with disabilities. It also drives local economic growth as DSPs spend more locally and support small businesses, and increases housing security and property tax revenues statewide. By investing in these items, the state can promote workforce stability and stronger communities.

Federal policies combined with inflation are putting the I/DD community at risk:

The "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" has created some uncertainty about how the State will fulfill its obligations to the healthcare system. Provider agencies in New York are almost 100% reliant on Medicaid funding, and while these federal cuts specifically exclude the I/DD care system, we need New York to continue showing leadership in investing in the system, as our costs continue to rise due to inflation.

Federal cuts are also eliminating $7.5 billion for the Essential Plan. The Essential Plan helps New Yorkers in households with an income of $39,125 a year for a single adult or $80,375 for a family of four to have health care coverage even if they are not eligible for Medicaid. Eliminating the Essential Plan threatens hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers, including DSPs and other frontline care workers, with losing access to affordable healthcare coverage.

New York’s growing population with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) increases the demand for services across the state. Staff vacancies are the primary reason provider agencies are unable to meet the needs of New Yorkers with I/DD. Provider agencies continue to struggle to keep pace with the growing needs for services, resulting in waitlists for services. According to KFF, people with I/DD waited the longest for home- and community-based setting supports, averaging 50 months on a waitlist, which is exceptionally long for a community that relies on daily support.

Inflation impacts provider agencies by increasing operational expenses. The Consumer Price Index as of July 2025 shows that inflation has been over 29% for transportation, over 27% for food/beverages, over 25% for housing, and over 24% for other goods and services over the past 5 years. From 2020 to 2025, New York State has provided a combined inflationary increase of 15.8% to I/DD non-profit care agencies, but funding has yet to meet real-time costs.

Inflation impacts lower-wage workers disproportionately. Housing inflation has increased by 27% from 2020 to 2025, and many DSPs and other frontline care workers have reported facing severe housing insecurity, with rent often consuming more than half of their income.

Each of NYDA’s funding priorities addresses critical gaps in New York’s disability services that have been causing provider agencies to struggle. These agencies must ensure quality care for over 130,000 people with disabilities across the state. The investments aim to strengthen the disability service system and the economy for all New Yorkers. Expanding access to homeownership can create pathways to generational wealth, particularly for members of the workforce who are people of color. Increased support for childcare and system investment provides DSPs and nonprofits with the stability they need to thrive. These underscore the Governor’s commitment to meaningful investments that strengthen communities and the state’s economic future.

"As Chair of the Senate Disabilities Committee, I’m laser-focused on building a New York State where all New Yorkers living with disabilities and their families receive the support they need to thrive,” said Senator Fahy (D—Albany), Chair of the Senate Disabilities Committee. “Investing in our care system means investing adequate resources in the providers and Direct Support Professionals who work day in and day out for New Yorkers living with disabilities. For too long, investments in New York's disability care system have languished on the backburner; but during this year's budget process, we will begin to turn that page. As we approach the 2026 Legislative Session, I look forward to working with Governor Hochul, our advocates, and New Yorkers living with disabilities everywhere to ensure our care system receives the fiscal support it needs to meaningfully care for every New Yorker and their family.”

“Today’s message is clear: New York must act,” said Assemblymember Angelo Santabarbara, Chair of the Assembly Committee on People with Disabilities. “Our disability service system cannot keep pace with rising costs unless we invest in the workforce that makes this care possible. Direct Support Professionals are the backbone of this system, yet too many are struggling to manage basic living expenses. When DSPs can’t remain in these jobs, people with disabilities lose the stability and support they depend on. The CareForce Affordability Agenda is not just good policy — it’s the path to a stronger, more sustainable future for every New Yorker who relies on these services.”

“Investing in disability services means investing in people, both those who receive the supports and the staff who provide them,” said Mike Alvaro, president, New York Disability Advocates. “New York has a history of valuing people with disabilities and we’ve made progress through past investments that have reduced staff vacancies and stabilized programs, but rising costs make it difficult for providers to keep up. We ask our elected officials to honor that history in this year’s and future State budgets by making an ongoing investment in and commitment to people with disabilities and the non-profit programs and the extraordinary staff who support them.”

“The investments made in past years have helped stabilize some programs throughout the Capital Region, but it’s not enough to meet today’s challenges,” said Michael Seereiter, president and chief executive officer, NY Alliance. “Continued investment is the only way to protect the progress we’ve made and ensure people with disabilities get the care they deserve.”

About New York Disability Advocates

New York Disability Advocates (NYDA) is a statewide coalition of more than 300 non-profit organizations providing vital services and support to more than 130,000 New Yorkers with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Across the state, these non-profit organizations provide comprehensive and individualized supports and services for people with developmental disabilities through their lifespan and in all areas of their lives—including residential and day services, employment opportunities, physical and behavioral health services, community integration and much more.

For more information, visit https://nydisabilityadvocates.com/, or follow us on X @NYDisabilityAdv and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/nydisabilityadvocates/.