Key Takeaways

  • More older Americans than ever need assistance and support to make ends meet and to ensure they're able to age well.

  • Help NCOA make sure needed investments are made in federal programs that serve vulnerable older Americans.

  • Download our latest aging program funding table to better understand the investments that serve vulnerable seniors.

For over a decade, annual investments in federal aging services programs not only failed to keep pace with the growth in the number and diversity of older Americans, but also suffered from indiscriminate cuts. Those reductions disproportionately affected vulnerable Americans and struggling communities.

More older adults than ever need assistance and support to make ends meet, a crisis further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The emergency relief provided in response to the pandemic has allowed for assistance to be provided on a scale never seen before, and now aging services programs need continued support to keep up with those demands. Funding for aging services programs, including those of the Older Americans Act (OAA), is a cost-effective investment. Empowering seniors to remain healthy and economically secure in their own homes and communities reduces spending on more costly entitlement programs. Every dollar provided to the aging services network also is leveraged by nearly three dollars in non-federal support.

FY24 federal budget proposals

Congressional Dear Colleague Letters advocating for NCOA FY24 priorities:

Administration FY24 budget request:

FY23 federal budget proposals

Congressional Dear Colleague Letters advocating for NCOA FY23 priorities:

Administration FY23 Budget Request:

Learn more about the federal budget