Mayor Eric Adams hosts an older adult town hall at Sunnyside Community Services Older Adult Center in Queens on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025. Photos by Walter Karling
Feb. 17, 2025 By Shane O’Brien
Mayor Eric Adams held an older adult town hall at Sunnyside Community Services (SCS) on Wednesday as part of a city-wide series facilitating older adult conversations with the mayor.
The event, which took place at SCS’s headquarters at 43-31 39th St. on Feb. 12, was the 19th in a city-wide series of older adult conversations since Adams took office more than three years ago and took place as Adams faced calls to resign from fellow New York Democrats after the DOJ dismissed federal corruption charges against him.
Photos by Walter Karling
During his opening address on Wednesday, the mayor touted his achievements during his three years in office, pointing to falling unemployment rates across the city, particularly among black and brown communities.
Last July, Adams celebrated reports showing a 30% decline in unemployment rates among Black and Latino populations since he took office. More recently, he highlighted New York State Department of Labor data revealing that the city had reached a record high of nearly 4.8 million jobs.
Adams fielded questions from senior members of the Sunnyside community during Wednesday’s town hall. Several local residents expressed concern about a buildup of snow and ice along sidewalks in the neighborhood during the recent cold snap.
Other residents urged the Mayor to lead efforts to install an elevator at the 40 St-Lowery St subway station due to an increase of older residents with disabilities near the station.
Adams responded that the MTA already has a plan to build out elevators at subway stations across the city and promised to ensure that the 40 St-Lowery St station is part of the MTA’s agenda.
Photos by Walter Karling
Other attendees raised concerns about a proliferation of homeless individuals living beneath the 40 St-Lowery St station, stating that individuals have been “urinating, defecating, sleeping, and using drugs” underneath the elevated subway lines in the area.
Adams promised to drive by the location and touted the city’s success at removing homeless encampments throughout his time in office.
Others expressed fears about potential cuts to senior centers and social services under the Trump Administration. Adams pledged to “fight for every penny” for services in New York City. The Mayor also acknowledged the importance of senior centers to elderly residents in the community.
“We know how important the older adult centers are. We know it’s a way to come together. It’s a way to socialize. And really, it’s part of the healthy environment where you not only eat well, you take exercise, you learn new things,” Adams told residents on Wednesday.
Photos by Walter Karling
However, the town hall took place amid the ongoing controversy surrounding the DOJ’s decision to drop federal corruption charges against Adams, which has prompted interim U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Danielle Sassoon and six DOJ officials to resign in protest.
Several prominent Democrats across Queens have called on Adams to resign or be removed from office over the dismissal, alleging that Adams is now beholden to the Trump Administration.
A number of Queens Democrats expressed concern after NBC News reported Thursday evening that it had obtained a letter from Sassoon alleging that Adams engaged in a “quid pro quo” with the Justice Department, alleging that attorneys representing Adams indicated that the Mayor “would be in a position to assist with Department’s enforcement priorities only if the indictment were dismissed.”
U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez described the allegations as “explosive” and accused the Mayor of putting New York City “at risk” in exchange for the DOJ dropping charges against him.
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