DANBURY SENIORS DISCUSS NEEDS WITH SENATOR BLUMENTHAL
Danbury
senior citizens had the opportunity to directly communicate their needs and
opinions to United States Senator Richard Blumenthal on his recent visit to the
Palace View Senior Housing development in Danbury. Arrangements to host the event were made by Danbury City
Council member Thomas Saadi and Danbury Housing Partnership Chair Mark J.
Nolan, who also had the chance to participate in the discussion and update
Senator Blumenthal on housing efforts in the Danbury region. Director Susan Tomanio of the Danbury
Department of Elderly Services also participated in the event.
“This was a wonderful chance
for senior citizens in our community to communicate their views on a one-to-one
basis with Senator Blumenthal as well as to hear about the status of programs
for seniors at the Federal level,” stated Nolan.
Major
concerns expressed by Danbury seniors included the stability of Social
Security, Medicare and the social service needs of seniors. Mr. Nolan discussed the housing needs
of seniors and the issue of the rising rental costs of senior rental housing
developments such as Palace View.
Mr. Nolan noted that seniors were facing extreme financial pressures as
the result of the economic recession.
Seniors have not received Social Security cost of living increases for
two years while the retirement investments of seniors had been hit by the stock
market decline of 2008. Investment
income of seniors has been further strained by the low-interest policies of the
Federal Reserve, which has kept returns from fixed income investments favored
by retirees at meager levels. At
the same time, energy and other costs have been rising- placing a strain not
only on seniors but also on the viability of housing developments for seniors
that operate on slim margins.
Senator
Blumenthal updated the seniors present on Federal initiatives to benefit
seniors and expressed his support for maintaining the financial soundness of
Social Security and Medicare as basic elements of the safety net for
seniors. It was also noted
that the financial crisis had disrupted multiple generations, such that seniors
were not only facing their own financial needs but also sometimes unexpectedly
supporting older offspring with social and medical needs.
For
more information about the Danbury Housing Partnership, please call Chairman
Mark J. Nolan at 203-797-8255 or visit www.danburyhousingpartnership.org.
For
more information about the Danbury Department of Elderly Services please call
Director Susan Tomanio at 203-797-4686 or visit www.ci.danbury.ct.us.