The Los Angeles City Council Tuesday earmarked $11 million for a meals program for seniors in the city.
The council voted 13-0 to support the design and implementation of the Rapid Response Senior Meals Program through June 2024, but may look to extend the program through September 2024.
Council members Bob Blumenfield and Katy Yaroslavsky were absent during the vote.
A total of $15 million was allocated for the program as part of the 2023-24 fiscal year. The remaining $4 million will be expended in the future to address any shortcomings as the city rolls out the program.
Of the $11 million voted on Tuesday, $10 million will be used for contractual services with meal providers and the remaining funds will be used for staffing, administrative, outreach and eligibility reporting.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the city implemented the Emergency Senior Meals program through a sole-source contract with Everytable Inc. to address food insecurity for seniors over the age of 60.
When the pandemic emergency order ended on Feb. 1, the emergency senior meals program ended. The department then transitioned to work on the successor program, Rapid Response Senior Meals.
According to a report from Matthew Szabo, a city administrative officer, the new program is designed to supplement meals services funded by the Older Americans Act and the California Department of Aging, which operate under specific nutritional and scope of work guidelines.
The Department of Aging is set to oversee the program, and it is unclear when the program will officially launch. The department will also collaborate with the Community Investment for Families Department to concentrate services in historically underrepresented communities, in areas near resource centers and populations identified by the U.S. Census as living below 200% of the federal poverty level.
Once the program is launched, individuals interested in enrolling may contact the Department of Aging via a dedicated hotline, email address or online.
The program is intended to reach about 5,800 seniors and provide a total of 1.5 million meals, served at a cost of $9.20 per meal, for a 12-month period, Szabo’s report stated. Additional applicants will be added to a wait list.
Under the program, seniors will receive one meal per day for five days per week. According to the report, the Department of Aging “believes that this will allow for consistent eligible senior enrollments and ensure more accurate reporting from vendors and staff.”
The Civil Rights, Equity, Immigration, Aging and Disability Committee, as well the Budget, Finance and Innovation Committee unanimously approved the spending plan during their October meetings.