As leaders of Benjamin Rose, Northeast Ohio Legal Aid (affiliate of The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland), and Greater Cleveland Volunteers, we see every day the growing needs of older Ohioans—and the dedication of the nonprofit organizations working to meet them. We ask you to make strengthening Ohio’s human-services infrastructure a priority of your administration.
Demand for support is growing.
Benjamin Rose has seen significant increases in demand for essential services. In July 2026, 210 people were on the waitlist for home-delivered meals—a 16% increase from the prior year—and 79 people were on the waitlist for an apartment at Margaret Wagner House, a subsidized apartment building for older adults. An older adult may wait up to six weeks to be added to a meal delivery route, and a low-income older adult may wait up to a year for an affordable housing unit.
The most frequently requested services from Benjamin Rose are for assistance with housing and utilities, but pandemic-era funding for these rental and utility assistance ended in June 2025. More than 800 families accessed this service in 2025, which is no longer available.
There is an equally significant capacity gap for civil legal services for older adults. Last year, The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland turned away more than 6,000 people because demand for civil legal services exceeded available resources. And older adults are an increasing share of those seeking help: people aged 60 and older accounted for 18% of Cleveland Legal Aid cases in 2022 and 2023, 19% in 2024, and 20% in 2025.
At the same time, Greater Cleveland Volunteers is seeing growing demand both for volunteers and for meaningful ways for older adults to remain connected and engaged.
By 2030, roughly one in four Ohioans is projected to be aged 60 or older.
Our capacity is constrained.
Increasing affordable housing requires substantial capital and ongoing operating support. Nutrition programs face rising food, transportation, equipment, and labor costs, while federal and state funding has not kept pace with inflation. Legal services organizations must turn away people with serious civil legal needs who face threats to their housing, financial stability, and safety. Effectively engaging volunteers who combat social isolation in older adults requires staff time for recruitment, screening, training, matching, and support—as well as transportation and technology solutions. Ohio’s governor can help.
As Governor, you will be in a unique position to make meaningful changes to increase resources, improve access, and strengthen the systems that support older Ohioans. You can help.
Recommendations
- Strengthening community-based services and affordable housing—Invest in nutrition, housing, and other services that allow older Ohioans to remain safely and independently in their communities, while supporting the workforce and infrastructure needed to deliver them.
- Simplifying access to essential benefits and services—Explore ways to streamline and standardize applications for programs such as SNAP, Medicaid, and rental and utility assistance, while reducing unnecessary administrative burdens on both residents and providers.
- Investing in community capacity—Expand transportation assistance and small capacity grants for volunteer recruitment, screening, training, accessibility, and coordination. Ohio can build on existing AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP infrastructure and aging-service networks to engage older adults as volunteers and community leaders.
Ohio’s nonprofit organizations and older adults themselves are tremendous community assets.
With state leadership and partnership, we can expand the capacity to meet growing needs while helping more Ohioans age with dignity, stability, connection, and independence.
Sincerely,
Orion Bell, President and CEO, Benjamin Rose
Katherine Hollingsworth, Executive Director, Northeast Ohio Legal Aid
Kevin Gross, Executive Director, Greater Cleveland Volunteers
