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CNMI elder services warn of cutbacks as Office of Aging seeks more local funding
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Summary
Public commenters and the Office of Aging director told the House Ways and Means budget hearing the program faces federal funding shortfalls that could force waiting lists, cuts to elder-protection work and reduced meal delivery unless the legislature provides local funds or indirect-cost returns.
Members of the public and the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs’ Office of Aging warned lawmakers on July 17 that elders’ services in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands face reductions unless local funding is secured.
Speakers at the House Ways and Means committee hearing described how delivery of homebound meals, elder-protection visits and respite support for family caregivers are at risk if federal grants are cut or if required local maintenance-of-effort funding is not provided. Director Walter Mangalonia told the committee the office has been using grant carryover and community donations to cover shortfalls and that staff and community volunteers have stepped in to keep services running.
Why it matters: The Office of Aging provides congregate and home-delivered meals, elder-rights and ombudsman services, adult protective services and respite programs. Committee members heard that cuts to operations or an increase in meal contractor bids could force the office to place eligible elders on a waiting list.
Mangalonia said many federal grants fund only specific activities, leaving the office short on operational funding needed to meet federal “supplement not supplant” rules. He described repeated warnings from federal grantors that lack of local matching or maintenance-of-effort documentation could jeopardize grants.
Public comments emphasized the human impact. Alice S. Igito and other residents urged increased funding for the office’s food program and vehicle for deliveries; one public speaker, Rafaela Oducheperi, referenced an appeal for $500,000 and Igito requested $200,000 for food and $50,000 for a vehicle. Dr. Chelsea Cabrera and Aurora DeSibel praised the program and its leadership and urged full support.
Mangalonia outlined grant totals and constraints: the office reported roughly $1.5 million from federal grants in fiscal year 2025 but said only a portion of that is usable for nutrition; the office currently pays about $3.75 per meal in Saipan and warned bids could rise to $5.50 per meal, potentially forcing a waiting list. He also said some program funding (for example, for information technology and expanded health programs) will end on Sept. 30, and losing those FTEs would increase operational strain.
Committee members asked about documentation and possible local remedies. The committee discussed using indirect-cost returns from federal grants (discussed elsewhere in the hearing) and other local funds to shore up operations.
The hearing record contains multiple requests that the committee consider restoring local operating support for elderly services in the FY2026 budget and flagged the risk that federal grantors could require repayment or terminate awards if maintenance-of-effort requirements are not met.
The Office of Aging and public commenters declined to present a formal motion; the committee recorded the testimony for budget deliberations.
