Floor Statements
Statement in Honor of Penn South Senior Services
Washington, DC,
September 13, 2006
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Penn South Program for Seniors for an outstanding 20 years of service to the naturally occurring retirement community in and around the Penn South cooperative on Manhattan's West Side. When President John F. Kennedy dedicated Penn South in 1962, he said, ``It is the task of every generation to build a road for the next generation. This housing development ..... can provide a better life for the people who come after us, if we meet our responsibilities.'' Indeed a subsequent generation of Manhattanites has benefited from the vision of the eariest residents of Penn South. Many of the original members of the cooperative still live in Penn South, and many of the current residents are senior citizens. The Penn South Program for Senior continues to provide dedicated support to those people who helped make Chelsea the vibrant neighborhood it is today.
Originally built to house members of the International Ladies Garment Workers Union and their families, Penn South sparked a renaissance on Manhattan's West Side when ``urban renewal'' was a phrase used only among city planners. As growing demand for affordable housing prompted Penn South to open itself to the public, the cooperative became a thriving community that truly transformed the neighborhood. Widely regarded as one of the best-run cooperatives in the state of New York, Penn South has made contributions beyond its own community. During New York City's budget crisis in the 1970s, residents of Penn South scraped together enough money to prepay their property taxes and help the City through that difficult time. The Penn South Program for Seniors was our Nation's first Naturally Occurring Retirement Community (NORC) program, and has become a nexus of senior services. Since 1986, it has provided care management, entitlement screening and advocacy, homecare coordination, health services, counseling, support groups, referral services, recreation, educational programs, volunteer opportunities, a social adult day care program, and an intergenerational garden for both seniors and children. The program also links West Side residents with community services such as Meals on Wheels, home care, and transportation. Later, because Penn South was selected as a training site for psychiatric fellows, two medical centers have opened on-site geriatric practices and residents have access to free psychiatric consultations. Most importantly, the program allows seniors to continue living in their homes as part of the Penn South community. This chance is vital to hundreds of long-time residents, especially at a time when financial concerns and high real estate costs are forcing many of New York City's seniors out of their apartments. Again, I commend the Penn South Program for Seniors for its tireless support for the generation of New Yorkers who brought Chelsea back to life. |