Swiping Out
MetroCards shouldn’t have to be an extravagance
Every day, Housing Works client Lenora Davis takes a bus to a ferry to a subway from her home in Staten Island to attend Housing Works Adult Day Healthcare Program in Manhattan. “The program provides me housing services, psychiatric care, medical care. My life’s improved since I started coming here,” Davis said. Her trip is possible thanks to the MetroCards Housing Works provides her.
Davis, who is unable to work because of health problems including AIDS, hepatitis and emphysema, can’t afford to pay for the MetroCards herself. If Davis were to lose the transportation subsidy, she wouldn’t get the critical services on which she depends. Proposed MetroCard fare hikes could limit Housing Works’ and dozens of other organizations’ ability to get people like Davis their MetroCards.
The MTA farehikes proposal would take the base fare as high as $3 and a monthly MetroCard as high as $103. Fare hikes disproportionately hurt the poorest New Yorkers in general, since they are more likely to buy the single fare MetroCards. (Single fares account for 43 percent of MetroCard purchases). Non-profit organizations purchase one- or two-ride cards for clients so they can get critical medical and dental services and treatment, attend programs and see social workers.
Housing Works, for instance, spends $459,000 a year on MetroCards for clients to attend groups, doctors appointments, and meet with case managers—and does not receive discounted rates. While the MTA doesn’t track how many MetroCards it gives to nonprofits, a spokesperson for the agency said it provides $4 million a month to “non-selling” entities such as hospitals, New York City agencies, and social services providers.
“Providing money to get people to the doctor can be the difference if someone will seek medical care or not,” said New York City AIDS Housing Network (NYCAHN) Co-Executive Director Sean Barry. But transportation costs are one of the first things to go when nonprofits are experiencing bad budget times. “While agencies are already struggling to maintain transportation assistance as their budgets are cut or flat-funded each year, an MTA fare hike would be the anvil that breaks the camel’s back in terms of their ability to continue providing that assistance.” NYCAHN spends about $15,000 a year on MetroCards for its members to participate is advocacy activities.
More transportation troubles
Even as the price of MetroCards rises, Barry said transportation assistance is also being cut across other agencies. Barry is upset that a recent HIV/AIDS Services Administration contract for supportive housing programs did not allocate funding for transportation. The new contract, beginning in April, will affect 20 percent of the 1,811 permanent congregate units and 401 of the 924 transitional congregate units in total.
Advocates say nonprofits should receive a separate rate for bulk purchases, so organizations aren’t devastated by the fare hikes and can afford to provide services to clients. This would allow agencies to continue to providing for transportation costs for clients, even in lean budget times.
“A fare hike would absolutely affect us, We’re on a tight budget and our budget is being cut,” said Eustacia Smith, BN Michalski Residence Director, who plans to go to the MTA hearing in the Bronx on February 4 to voice her concerns about the MTA fare hikes. “We’re hoping there could be some advocacy around nonprofits purchasing at different prices. For poor people with AIDS, not having a MetroCard means people won’t go to their doctors’ appointments and that will impact their long-term health.”
Disabled hit hard
Proposed fare hikes would also be a blow to the 125,000 Access-A-Ride users—disabled people who receive door-to-door service. Their fares would more than double to $5 from $2.
“People should not have to choose between going to work and having food in the house; between taking a ride to the doctor or paying for medicine. A $10 round trip while the rest of us are paying far less is not only unfair; it is reprehensible,” said City Comptroller Bill Thompson, at the first hearing on MTA cuts.
Your voice can be heard! The MTA is holding more public hearings before it decides what to slash. See the schedule and let your voice be heard before it’s too late.
photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dbilly/2634250482/
Posted on January 23, 2009 at 12:17 am
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