Elected officials, 1199 and AARP will tomorrow hold a press conference to call on Governor Kathy Hochul to end the state's worst-in-the-nation home care crisis by passing Fair Pay for Home Care in her executive budget.

In her State of the State, Hochul announced her goal to end the healthcare worker shortage, but the governor did not pledge any wage increases to home care workers. A new report released at the press conference today will reveal 60% of open health care jobs are in the home care sector, and the driving cause of the home care shortage is low wages.

Press conference speakers will make clear the governor cannot end the health care shortage without raising wages for home care workers.

Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul
Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

WHAT: Press Conference with Elected Officials, 1199 and AARP to Call on Governor Hochul Include Fair Pay for Home Care in Budget

WHEN: 11:00 AM, Tuesday, January 11, 2022

WHO: State Senator & Lead Sponsor Rachel May

Assemblymember & Lead Sponsor Dick Gottfried

State Senator Robert Jackson

State Senator Michelle Hinchey

State Senator Julia Salazar

State Senator Diane Savino

Assemblymember Sarah Clark

Assemblymember Harvey Epstein

Assemblymember Phara Souffrant Forrest

Assemblymember Amy Paulin

Assemblymember Karines Reyes

Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal

Assemblymember Amanda Septimo

1199 Executive Vice President Rona Shapiro

1199 worker Lilieth Clacken

AARP State Legislative Representative Bill Ferris

New York Caring Majority

County Offices for the Aging

Hand in Hand: The Domestic Employers Network

Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Association of New York State

Jews for Racial and Economic Justice

WHERE: Zoom - Click HERE to register: https://actionnetwork.org/events/united-in-support-of-fair-pay

Low wages are the single largest driving factor causing New York's worst-in-the-nation home care shortage. With New York's 65+ population slated to grow 25% in the next 20 years, the current workforce shortage is projected to increase exponentially: New York will have more than 600,000 home care job openings by 2026. Additionally, research has found that recovering Covid patients have fared far better in home care than nursing homes.

The Fair Pay for Home Care Act currently has bipartisan support in both houses, with 79 sponsors in the Assembly and 33 sponsors in the Senate. If passed, the state would see increased revenue totaling $5.4 billion through job creation and moving home care workers off of social assistance.