August 21, 2025

 The pilot program will provide in-person support with internet, mobile devices, and computers at affordable housing developments and older adult centers    

New service to meet digital literacy needs of low-income New Yorkers builds on lessons learned from decades of computer classes offered at public library branches  

Event falls on National Senior Citizens Day  

NEW YORK – This afternoon, on National Senior Citizens Day, the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), in partnership with the Department for the Aging (NYC Aging) and The New York Public Library (NYPL), announced the expansion of Neighborhood Tech Help, an innovative, in-person program designed to help New Yorkers build confidence using technology.

This year’s National Senior Citizens Month is themed as “Powering Possibilities: Flip the Script” by the National Council on Aging, and calls on all of us to “challenge outdated perceptions of aging and older adult centers. It celebrates the dynamic role that centers play in fostering creativity, connection, purpose, and resilience in later life.” 

The expanded Neighborhood Tech Help pilot program honors this year’s goal and offers one-on-one support for Section 8 tenants at participating affordable housing developments and older adult centers, helping with everything from getting online and setting up devices to navigating digital services and avoiding scams. The launch responds to needs most recently highlighted in The State of Older New Yorkers and builds on the City’s broader efforts to close the digital divide, as outlined in the NYC Digital Equity Roadmap.  

"At HPD, we recognize that access to technology and the skills and confidence to use technology are no longer a luxury—they’re a necessity,” said Acting HPD Commissioner Ahmed Tigani. “We joined The New York Public Library, NYC Aging, PSS Davidson in the Bronx for National Senior Citizens Day to expand HPD’s Neighborhood Tech Help to Upper Manhattan and the Bronx — two parts of our City which need more resources to bridge the digital divide. The expansion of Neighborhood Tech Help underscores our commitment to ensuring that all New Yorkers, especially those in affordable housing, have the digital tools and skills they need to thrive in today's world."

"Technology is a great equalizer which enhances one’s economic security, that includes older adults as they age in place in the communities they built and continue to live. This expansion of technology services is a great announcement to make on National Senior Citizens Day," said Department for the Aging Commissioner Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez. "The expansion of the Neighborhood Tech Help program will help close the digital divide so more older New Yorkers can benefit from the advances computers, tablets and other devices have given our society. With the right drive and training, older adults are able to keep in touch with family and friends, or to contribute to where they work, and I encourage them to take advantage of this opportunity at their local older adult center or other public spaces."

“Digital equity is paramount in today’s world where so much of life is mediated through technology,” said Dr. Brandy McNeil, NYPL’s Deputy Director of Branch Programs and Services. “The New York Public Library has long been committed to closing the digital divide and we’re proud to help spearhead this innovative program aimed at enhancing tech literacy among lower-income New Yorkers.”

“We fully support the Neighborhood Tech Help initiative and recognize the necessity to keep older adults engaged and connected through basic technology. Our centers are providing these services on a daily basis,” said PSS Executive Director Rimas Jasin.

Need for Tech Help at Older Adult Centers

Despite misperceptions that older adults cannot or do not use technology, they are actually more digitally connected than ever before. However, a lack of basic knowledge and skills still prevents many older New Yorkers from effectively accessing and leveraging technology. NYC Aging recently found in The State of Older New Yorkers report, that 30% of older adult respondents indicated they do not own or have a computer or tablet and one quarter stated that their need for help with setting up and using technology prevented older New Yorkers from having a device. Cost was also a barrier for nearly one third of older adults without an internet enabled device.

PSS Davidson Center, the site of today’s announcement, has been at the forefront of providing digital capacity building to its older adult center members in the Bronx. In addition to computer classes teaching skills at basic, intermediate and advanced levels, PSS provides one-on-one technology, smartphone and tablet support at 10 older adult centers throughout the Bronx and in Harlem. The goal is to keep members connected to necessary services and to each other to help reduce isolation.

Early data from  Brooklyn Public Library’s launch of Neighborhood Tech Help has revealed that 33% out of the program’s first 2,000 clients were served at older adult centers. Older New Yorkers sought support on topics including adjusting smartphone settings and languages, reviewing online bills and bank statements, and using WhatsApp and other messaging apps. The program has been met with overwhelming enthusiasm throughout Brooklyn and HPD, NYC Aging, and NYPL expect the same response from New Yorkers in the Bronx and Upper Manhattan. HPD and the Queens Public Library also plan to announce an expansion in Queens this fall.  

A Partnership Between Housing and Libraries

This initiative also advances recommendations from the “New” New York Panel in the Making New York Work for Everyone action plan to invest in partnerships with libraries to support remote work across the five boroughs. The recommendations specifically sought to address the lack of broadband at home for New Yorkers from historically marginalized communities of color, among other challenges these populations face. The plan cited the redevelopment of NYPL’s Inwood branch as a striking example of how the City, NYPL, and philanthropy can partner on issues ranging from affordable housing, community development, and reducing the digital divide.

Beginning today, the program will be available at select affordable housing developments, older adult centers, and community centers throughout the Bronx and Upper Manhattan. New Yorkers can find participating Neighborhood Tech Help sites at nyc.gov/TechHelp or by calling 311.