and reentering hospitals, simply due to lack of nutrition. we know that malnutrition and isolation in older adults brings medical and surgical complications, with the late recovery from trauma and increased length of hospital stays, as well as readmission rates. we are looking at and trying to address that transitioning in and out of hospitals and what a critical role nutrition can play in that. given that the population is highly vulnerable to a hunger, those who put heavy demands on a strain service system, it is important to not only meet the needs today, but how can we continue to raise the funds and political will to meet that? the following trends will impact the future of security

and hunger amongst the aging population. we have high crime, projected unemployment, large social security population, growing budget deficits at the local and state level, and urban populations with needs, and all around for food and transportation, health care and housing. we will put together a strain of publicly funded programs and community-based organizations. that is why we are all here looking at it together. we need to prepare for the future by examining them and needs. i think we really need to commit to that. most important, we need to leverage the resources to the fullest potential. i think that the cal fresh opportunity is there for us. i think it takes a lot of research and now out and we have to do that. creative solutions that will

meet rising demand. we have not been able to do that. we are always playing catch-up, struggling to meet that need, struggling to keep people healthy in san francisco. it is something that is really going to take all of us. today, i really appreciate hearing from you, to let people know what your struggles are, what is working and what is not working. thank you. supervisor olague: thank you. [applause] we have one last speaker before public comments, which is kathy stensley of the elder economics security index. >> good morning, i am the director of the senior division of family service agency. we have been serving those in poverty for over 100 years. some of our programs have been around since the johnson war on poverty, which really helped to

lift seniors out of dire poverty in this country. we are, again, concerned about the number of seniors falling into poverty today in san francisco. as you know, the federal poverty line is around $11,000 across the country. that does not even cover the basic needs in san francisco. the inside center in oakland and los angeles has developed an index in california to develop a more realistic poverty line, which we use in our center here for older adults. to hear more on the specifics of the index, i would like to introduce jenny cheung mahia, who works at the center in los angeles. >> thank you, cathy. thank you to the supervisors. i will make my comments brief. i hope that my comments today can really complement and

supplement the initial comments earlier today about the status of elder economic insecurity here in san francisco, taking a deeper dive in, and also for all the work that has been done so far in integrating the elder index into policy programs. since talking to them, with the insight network community for network development, we are a national research developing nonprofit agency in oakland, just across the bay, and an attorney and program manager with our elder economic security projects. we have talked a bit through various comments about the federal poverty pop -- federal poverty guidelines. in this slide, it really sort of captures the key conversations that we are having today. what we would like to put out is that our organization is to put up help to the economically vulnerable in that community.

economic security, first you have to actively measure it. this particular slide shows a comparison between the federal poverty guidelines and what is just over $11,000. unfortunately, that measure does not act -- accurately capture how much it costs an elderly individual to meet all their needs. until several years ago, we partnered with the ucla department of health poverty research to calculate a more representative measure of what it takes to cover all of your basic needs. not just the cost of food, but health care, housing, and transportation. what you see is that here in san francisco it is closer to $27,000 per year for an older adult to meet basic needs. i wanted to reiterate something that dan covered in his, which is that this produces an

eligibility gap. when you compare the federal poverty guidelines against the elder index, you are missing an entire population that falls between the gaps of these bars as to who is not making these ends meet. based on the analysis from several years ago, 61% of older adults here in the city and county of san francisco are not able to meet their basic needs. closer to 65,000 older adults. given the rise in recent years, compared to the decreases in sources of income, we can unfortunately only imagine that that number is bigger today that it was before. the federal poverty guidelines pines 9% falling below. there is a huge differential there. this backslide compares, again, the importance of programs for social security and ssi, and why

those programs need to be preserved. if anything, and we would need additional resources to make up for that difference between what an older adult needs compared to what they have. as we know, many older adults are living on fixed income, whether it be social security or a combination of ssi and social security, and even that is not enough to make the gap. they are cutting medications in half, skipping meals, not going to the doctors. making critical and difficult choices. lastly, i just wanted to end and highlight a couple of ways that the elder index has been used in san francisco and across the state, as well as the nation, because we know the federal poverty guidelines need to be used at the national level. it starts at the ground floor here, locally. from a policy standpoint, the index was approved by the board

of supervisors as an eligibility criteria within the fund, back in 2009 as the eligibility determinant. whereas the program was within 300% of the guidelines, they were able to pass a resolution approving the use of the index in the criteria, and it is really important to change that framework as a way in which we look at elder economic insecurity. san francisco passed a resolution in the past, setting a more realistic measure for families. i would also like to point out, as kathy will speak to more in a moment, the family services agency here has used the index as part of their management model, where a region where they are looking at providing a case management for older adults along with the funding for case management services for older adults.

i wanted to complement san francisco for being a leader in this issue of building economic security, and we wanted to offer the index as a tool that can continue to be used by the various departments, working with the supervisors in the various different departments and nonprofit organizations within the cities and counties. so, thank you. >> thank you. >> i know that people are getting hungry. we will hold off any more details about that, but i would prefer to hear the stories from folks around how this impacts them. supervisor olague: so, i will go ahead and start reading cards. speakers will be limited to two minutes. i would ask that if there are individuals in the audience who have certain needs and have to speak, now, if you could start

lining up for the microphone. i know that several of you are in the audience and have certain physical challenges. and then i will start reading of. i do not know how we should go about this. if you could line up on that site? ok. >> [inaudible] thank you. let me know when to start. oh, where is the time? oh, it comes with you?

good, ok. all right, my name is robert sloan. i am 57 years old, disabled. in may trans man. i lived in and sro, i get about $900 per month. by food budget is $900 per month, if you can imagine that. i am happier here than anywhere else on the planet. i do not think that i could survive anywhere else but here. san francisco is the city were the first human being looked me in the night and called me sir, the first city where i was welcome to the human race.

i love this city. i want to be an asset to it. if i had enough food, rent, and city housing, i could become self-employed again. half of the other budget would be going into my business. i do not want to retire, i want to deretire but i cannot support by business when 75% of my business goes to the rent in the sro. in stock, staying retired, and i do not want to do that. i want to become a taxpayer. what i need is to get out of the gap between elderly and disabled. i am on social security, but i cannot get sro said housing until i am 62. i do not make $1,500 per month to get into rental apartments. i do not need an apartment, i would be happy with the as

sarraute, but i need a place that i can afford to live -- with the sro, but i need a place that i can afford to live. there are a lot of people like me out there. that is what i wanted to share. thank you for having me. supervisor olague: thank you. [applause] >> good morning, my name is [unintelligible] and in a 62-year-old man living along the six st. quarter -- and i am a 62-year-old man living along the sixth street corridor. i want to know why the muni cannot make ramps all along market street, so that people can get off and on. on sixth street, there is a ramp on one side, but if you go the

other direction, there is no ramp. it seems like something that could be addressed. also, sixth and mission, there are no kiosks. there seems to be a kiosk all along mission street in the downtown area, except at 63. that is another issue that could be address. -- addressed. also at the same location, it seems that when the light turns red, people seem to have the idea that two or three cars are ok to go through the red lights. if cameras were installed, i believe that would put a cost on that particular issue -- caboshed -- kibosh on that particular issue. i am a recipient of the iss it, and it would be a shame if they cut more out of the budget.

i believe i it -- i know the state is having problems, but that would be a bad thing to have to do that. thank you for your time. >> thank you. -- supervisor olague: thank you. next speaker? >> hello. my name is george demoore, i am 75 years old. i live at ninth and mission, in a hotel. i am here to urge you to increase funding. [unintelligible] does a great job for the community and looks after us seniors medically as well. seniors, nurse's aides, in to check about -- our blood pressure and help us in that

factor. but lies, increase their funding, do not cut it. you would be doing a great disservice -- disservice to the city. it is a great city. i have lived here a onetime. but believe me, you guys are slipping in your job -- i have lived here a long time. but believe me, you guys are slipping in your job. thank you. [applause] supervisor olague: if we could save the clapping until the end of the hearing, that would be helpful. it slows things. >> my name is nancy cross. i will not tell the story of crystal, because i want to add what i said, relatively uniquely, and talk about the processes and participations that gets to a solution. the theme of my two minutes is

the flow for real solutions. we have not got real solutions. we have talked about distress and more money. but that is not a solution. it is nonprofit. we need bodies in which people can brainstorm solutions, and not just complain and gripe. we need those other things as well, but we need to put our mind on that without thinking about remedies. going as far as we can, the statement i am reading before the human rights commission has never been publicly determined. and i have endeavored it. this is from dr. hall. "good afternoon, my name is rodney hall. i have talked to you in many different roles, but tonight it is says a former president and speaker of the benson hotel association. we have had substantial -- i

will skip a bit there -- about the tenderloin housing clinic, which received virtually 100% of the funding from the city and county of san francisco. that is the worst possible organization you can imagine in terms of business practices and money. i found out from business sources that they are one of the most sued organizations in the city, but we go to the rent board for relief and tell them they are not eligible. it protects the organization from action against the red board. we have tried several losses because business is so bad and we cannot get a law firm to represent it. no one will touch the organization -- [tone] supervisor olague: thank you. >> there are grievances -- supervisor olague: thank you. >> grievances that are now allowed publicly. i asked you -- supervisor olague: thank you.

before i start calling the speaker cards, is there anyone who has certain physical challenges that would force them to leave the hearing early? no? i will start calling cards shortly. >> i will read what i have here first. i am 82 years old. hello, good morning, everybody. our program participations, i think the most important things are the steady and continued increase of san francisco seniors publications, plus increased need for support and services. central statements -- good morning, supervisors. my name is the morris [unintelligible]

, i am 82 years old, a senior, one of 18,000 living in san francisco. we are not getting any younger. our needs, our needs for service will not decrease. please insure the findings or services for seniors, such as the programs provided by the neighborhood center. dhns, the community center getting [unintelligible] we do not deserve to be neglected or discarded. the high percentage of seniors with limited or no english language skills. sample statements, preferable in their native language, translated by someone for them. good morning, supervisors. my name, again, is [unintelligible] and buy him one of many seniors

who participates in the neighborhood center, bnc community service center program, because i know there is someone who can speak my language. i try to speak english but sometimes it is hard with the complicated forms that i need to fill out. i wish that there were more programs that provided programs in my language so that i could get help to support my needs. i remain, with all my love [ kissing noises] kisses. we will be waiting for your response. thank you, have a good day. [tone] >> hello, my name is estella moreno, a member of the excelsior community center. i am here just to urge you to please continue to fund the services. this is a place where seniors

go and they are not isolated at home. my preference here today is just for continued funding and, if possible, increase the funding, but not to make any cuts on what we have. thank you. [applause] >> my name is [unintelligible] and our position is hard. i am taking care of my wife, with alzheimer's. formerly she was being taken care of by the adopted care center, but at the moment she was struck in her face by someone, i think that these stones should take care of their glances. now, i am taking care of the past few months, 77 years old. living now in house, fortunately enough the center has found a

place to live. we are in a house on the city street that is dangerous to live that. -- live there. [unintelligible] we were almost stabbed. we reported it to the police. we were told we had to forgive that man. we have forgiven him. now, i came here with a place to live. i am glad that they're going to put up a station at 6 street. at sixth street there are lots of things going on everyday. thank you very much. [tone]

>> good morning, supervisor. i have a letter from a 98-year- old and i am going to read her statement. i could not remember why i stayed in hospitals six months ago. i guess that that is why i have a true memory. i wonder where i should go after being discharged from hospital. the plan was very helpful in the care home, which provided four hours, seven days a week. now i am living in that care home. every day i see smiley faces and do not have to worry about my day to day activities, especially the medication. all the time i am not quite sure if i take medication or not.

in the home, is that gives me medication with dr. instruction. also in the care home, they range different activities, like going out to golden gate park. in deeply appreciated. there are care services taking care people like me. without those kinds of services, definitely i would wind up wondering on the street. so, today, may i take this opportunity to let you know how important it is to provide care services and a home to the alzheimer's elderly, just like me. so, if you can, please put this issue on top of the discussion list. thank you for listening to my story. thank you. captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- supervisor olague supervisor olago

remind members of the public to prioritize those with needs to speak first. >> [speaking for languageforeig] >> i am a senior. my name is [unintelligible] and i, myself, will translate for her. >> [i a speaking foreign language]

[applause] >> my name is [unintelligible] and i am a graduate of the 87th home health aide training class. i am a new immigrant and an older worker. i see that half of the job-

seekers at chinatown one-stop are older workers. it is almost impossible for job seekers like myself to get a job without learning english and new vocational skills. i urge the city to support and protect funding for housekeeping and home health aide training programs. without these vital training programs, it would be impossible for myself, for job seekers like me, to overcome barriers to employment, to have hope and direction in my life to meaningful work. thank you. [applause] >> good morning, supervisors of san francisco. supervisor olague: could you please stand in front of the microphone? story, to your right. >> i would just like to say that i have been in san francisco for 33 years. is a wonderful city.

i hope that there is so light you can balance the city budget. there are a lot of programs in the city where we need money to keep these programs in the mental health system running. i just hope to work something out, because i know you are very busy. thank you for the consideration. [applause] >> hello? vi am 78 year old. i want to thank the government for giving us the opportunity for english citizenship