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Lawmakers press DHS on elderly‑nutrition cuts, ARPA allocations and senior center grants
Summary
Legislators pressed aging agency officials about a modest federal funding decrease for elderly‑nutrition programs and distribution of one‑time ARPA grants to senior centers.
Lawmakers on the Human Services Subcommittee pressed state aging officials about recent declines in some federal elderly‑nutrition funding, how one‑time ARPA dollars were used to expand service during the COVID recovery, and which senior centers received temporary grants.
Amy Porter of the Department of Aging and Disability Services said the agency is roughly 70 percent federally funded overall, and noted the agency had “a net decrease” in federal nutrition funds. In the hearing ADS staff provided a federal nutrition funding snapshot: Title III congregate meals of about $5.4 million, home‑delivered meals about $44.5 million, and smaller line items for other nutrition grants. Porter said ARPA funded a heavy, temporary investment in elderly‑nutrition services that expanded meal frequency during the pandemic and recovery; she and committee members said those ARPA payments were not intended to be permanent.
Representative Nolan and other legislators asked whether senior centers receive state funding. Porter said senior centers broadly receive no recurring state general‑fund grants — the ARPA allocations had been a one‑time injection. ADS said it had allocated $10 million in ARPA to broadly support senior centers; however, officials told legislators that applications and timing left 48 entities that applied but did not receive money and 15 towns that did not apply. The Stanford Senior Center received a one‑year, earmarked allocation last year that staff described as separate from the general ARPA pool; ADS said the Stanford allocation was a single‑year item that was later removed from a subsequent OFA sheet and that other centers had an opportunity to apply for the competitive funds.
Committee members asked for a breakout the agency said it would provide at the working session: a list of which senior centers received ARPA awards, which applied and did not receive awards, and federal versus state funding amounts for elderly‑nutrition programs.
Ending
ADS said it would provide the committee with a federal versus state funding breakout for elderly‑nutrition programs, a list of senior centers that received ARPA awards and a list of applicants who did not receive funding so lawmakers can reconcile program reach and spot gaps in state support.
