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HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolutions - 2017.05.10 - 22910MISCELLANEOUS RESOLUTION#17109 BY: Commissioners Helaine Zack, District *18; David Woodward, District *19; David E. S. Bowman, District *10; Janet Jackson, District *21; Gary McGillivray, District *20; Nancy Quarles, District *17; and Marcia Gershenson, District *13 IN RE: BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS — OPPOSITON TO PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP'S PROPOSED REDUCTIONS IN FUNDING TO THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AND THE DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT THAT SUPPORT THE MEALS ON WHEELS AMERICA PROGRAMS To the Oakland County Board of Commissioners Chairperson, Ladies, and Gentlemen: WHEREAS the Older Americans Act has supported senior nutrition programs for 45 years. The Meals on Wheels America (MOW) program was established in 1974 as the nation's nutrition program for seniors 60 years and older in an effort to combat hunger and poverty; and WHEREAS the Older Americans Act nutrition program, that functions under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, covers 35% of the costs of the local MOW programs delivered by the 5,000 local agencies who provide nutritious meals, safety checks and friendly visits to seniors; and WHEREAS the MOW program ensures that seniors have adequate nutrition that is necessary for health, functionality and the ability to remain independent; and WHEREAS MOW served over 219 million meals nationwide to 2.4 million homebound senior citizens in 2016 by volunteers driving and delivering meals; and WHEREAS MOW can provide a vulnerable senior with meals for one year for approximately the cost of one day in a hospital; and WHEREAS 1 in 6 seniors struggles with hunger and the MOW program has been effective in improving the quality of life and nutrition of elderly citizens; and WHEREAS Ellie Hollander, President and Chief Executive of Meals on Wheels America, stated to the Washington Post "a 2013 study indicated if every state increased the number of older Americans who received meals by just 1 percent, it would have saved Medicaid more than $109 million a year"; and WHEREAS it is not just a meal, as conveyed in the SAGE Journal, MOW also provides the opportunity for volunteers to do a safety check for falls, failing health as well as brings relief to their isolation; and WHEREAS MOW clients report fewer falls which saves the nation $34 billion each year reported Eliott McLaughlin of CNN; and WHEREAS programs such as MOW helps keep older adults in their homes and proves to be more cost effective by saving billions in Medicare and Medicaid costs, rather than seniors living in nursing-home care; and WHEREAS President Trump's 2018 budget proposal calls for cutting funds to the Department of Housing and Urban Development by approximately $6.2 billion and includes cuts of $3 billion to the Community Development Block Grant program that provides funding for MOW and for a variety of community development and anti-poverty programs impacting already vulnerable seniors and citizens; and WHEREAS in addition, the 2018 budget proposal calls for funding cuts to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services by 17.9% that is expected in a devastating financial impact to the Meals On Wheels America programs; and WHEREAS program cuts should not be made at the expense of economically disadvantaged seniors, veterans, and other vulnerable Americans; and WHEREAS Meals on Wheels America reported that 9.6 million seniors nationwide are facing the threat of hunger, and 15.2 million are living alone in isolation; and WHEREAS MOW is already serving 23 million fewer meals than in 2005 and waiting lists are mounting in every state; and WHEREAS with 12,000 individuals turning 60 every day nationwide, the senior population is increasingly threatened by hunger and federal funding is failing drastically to keep pace; and WHEREAS Meals on Wheels America reports that in Michigan there are 106,981 seniors in the local MOW programs with a total of 9,998,095 meals served, with 324,339 seniors threatened by hunger and 574,417 living in near poverty; and WHEREAS it is estimated that the population change of older adults 60+ for Oakland County will grow from 278,298 in 2016 to 312,989 in 2020 with continuous population increase projected through 2030; and Commissioner HelaMe Zack District #1 8 SI Commissioner David E. S. Bowman Distriet.#1 0 Commissioner Marcia Gtirshenson District #13 WHEREAS with proposed funding cuts to federal programs that support MOW, millions of vulnerable seniors who rely on a nutritious meal every day, as well as a safety check and a visit from a volunteer will be left behind. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Oakland County Board of Commissioners hereby opposes the proposed funding cuts to the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U. S. Health and Human Services budgets that provide financial support to the Meals on Wheels America programs that service our nation's most vulnerable seniors. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Oakland County Board of Commissioners encourages all organizations, private and public, to take action to protect the federal, state and local funding that enables the Meals on Wheels America programs to provide nutritious meals, safety checks and friendly visits that improve the lives of America's seniors. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Oakland County Clerk/Register of Deeds is requested to forward copies of this adopted resolution to the President of the United States, the United States Congress, the Speaker of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the Michigan Congressional delegation, the Governor of the State of Michigan, the State Senate Majority and Minority Leaders, the State House Speaker and Minority Leader, the Oakland County delegation to the Michigan Legislature, the Michigan Association of Counties, and the Oakland County Board of Commissioners' legislative lobbyists. Chairperson, I move the adoption of the foregoing resol Commissioner Commissioner District # District # Commissioner Commissioner District # District # Commissioner Commissioner District # District # Commissioner Commissioner District # District # Commissioner Commissioner District* District # Commissioner Commissioner District* District* Commissioner Commissioner District* District # Commissioner Commissioner District* District # Resolution #17109 May 10, 2017 The Chairperson referred the resolution to the General Government Committee. There were no objections.