Priority 3.
United with NYDA: Championing Equitable Pay for Those Who Support our IDD Community
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From 2020–2025, NYS provided only 15.8% combined inflationary increase to IDD non-profit care agencies, while inflation surged.
- Workforce crisis:
- 4 out of 5 Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) earn under $20/hour, below a living wage.
- Half of all DSPs experience food and housing insecurity.
- High staffing vacancies leave many people with I/DD unserved or underserved.
- Agencies struggle to maintain housing, vocational training, therapeutic services, and community programs due to underfunding and rising costs.
We urge lawmakers to support targeted investments that stabilize care systems and workforce:
- Targeted Inflationary Increase (2.7%).
- Covers benefits, food, transportation, and other essentials.
- CareForce Affordability Initiatives.
- Affordable housing preference for DSPs.
- Employer-assisted housing matching grants.
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- SONYMA “CareForce” down payment assistance and interest rate reduction.
- Infrastructure & Care System Investment.
- Expand Prior Property Approval (PPA) to align with climate goals.
- New capital funding demonstration program for innovative service models.
- Increase Residential Reserve for Replacement (RRR) rate to $2,500 per resident Upstate and $3,000 NYC/Long Island.
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Housing Support: Grants and down payment assistance help DSPs secure stable housing.
- Childcare Expansion: Capital funding for childcare centers and expanded NYS Child Tax Credit.
- Healthcare Support: $2,500 per employee allocation to offset rising health care costs.
- Capital Investments: Maintain and upgrade housing and service infrastructure to ensure continuity of care.
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Fair, competitive wages for DSPs to reduce vacancies and stabilize the workforce.
- Improved housing and childcare access for frontline staff.
- Enhanced infrastructure for agencies providing housing, vocational training, and therapeutic services.
- Better quality of care for New Yorkers with I/DD—meeting human rights standards.
- Reduced turnover and burnout, ensuring continuity and reliability in care delivery.
These investments are critical to sustaining care for people with IDD and supporting the workforce that makes independence possible.
Your voice matters. Contact your legislators and urge them to #InvestInUs, because every New Yorker with IDD deserves dignity, stability, and opportunity.
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