AARP: Boomers may leave New York in droves

A new study published by AARP indicates that two-thirds of local working baby boomers may leave New York after they retire, a shift that would have sweeping impacts on the state's economy, politics and volunteerism.

Indeed, one of them will be the man who has spent his career urging Hudson Valley residents to "buy local."

At a roundtable discussion hosted by AARP in Poughkeepsie on Thursday, Charles North, the retiring president and CEO of the Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce, said he will soon establish permanent residency in Florida and spend most of his retirement there.

"I can't afford to stay here," North said during a five-minute, impassioned monologue. "We need to shake up this state. It is the worst-functioning state in the union."

North's concerns are reflected in AARP's survey, which the group has been highlighting at forums around the state.

Among the findings:

• Half of Dutchess County's boomers — people who are at least 50 years old — say they are at least somewhat worried about paying their rent or mortgage.

• At least three-quarters of them are worried about paying property taxes and utility bills.

• Other issues of concern are health care, affordable housing, transportation and jobs for older residents.

Boomers account for 6.8 million people in the state and 110,000 in Dutchess County, AARP said. Their economic impact outweighs the percentage of the population, however.

What AARP calls the "Longevity Economy" — that is, economic activity supported by consumer spending from households headed by someone 50 or older — accounts for 46 percent of New York's gross domestic product, even though boomers make up just one third of the state's population.

The impacts of "boomer flight" would not be limited just to the economy. Boomers account for a disproportionate percentage of charitable donations and volunteer hours, said Sally Cross, director of planned giving for Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley.

"This is an issue that warrants immediate attention," said Erin Mitchell, AARP's associate state director for the Hudson Valley.

AARP's report highlights actions that could be taken at the state level to make New York more attractive for retirees.

The organization supports passage of legislation that would create an independent consumer advocate for residential utility customers. Forty other states have such an advocate, it said.

John Maserjian, spokesman for Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp., said customers already have existing systems that allow for their voices to be heard, including the nonprofit Public Utility Law Project of New York, the state Public Service Commission and the Utility Intervention Unit, a division of the state Department of State.

"For Central Hudson's current rate (increase) case, there are eight independent parties to that case that are representing consumers and businesses," Maserjian said. "Ultimately, the decision to form a consumer advocate within the state is up to the state Legislature. Central Hudson will work with that organization."

AARP said that if the state hopes to keep boomers here, employers will have to make accommodations for those who want to work into their later years.

Similar shifts were made in recent decades that benefit younger, two-income families, such as passage of the federal Family and Medical Leave Act in 1993.

The study found that Dutchess County voters who are 50 and over represent 42 percent of the labor force.

Now, as more workers face home-care issues, either for a spouse or a parent, "we have to think about how the workplace will accommodate that," said Cheryl Matheis, AARP's senior principal and counsel for external affairs.

When it comes time to retire, boomers have concerns.

The study found that while four in 10 Dutchess County working voters 50 and over are either extremely or very confident they will be able to retire, nearly one third are just somewhat confident and 27 percent are not sure they will ever be able to retire.

AARP notes that 76 percent of Dutchess County 50-and-over voters support the establishment of a state retirement plan that would be open to New Yorkers who have no retirement savings option through their employer.

"People want to be able to stay in their homes and age in place," said Kristen McManus, a program specialist at AARP.

Rhinebeck resident Nina Lynch, 74, said boomers who have lived in a community for a long time have support systems that they belong to and know.

Lynch and fellow Rhinebeck resident Anne Brueckner, 71, lead Rhinebeck at Home, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping its members remain at home.

Though they agreed with many points in the AARP survey, they said many seniors don't realize that moving to cheaper locations can pose new challenges, as well.

"I know that when people move to a place where they think it is going to be less costly to live," Lynch said, "they often discover they don't have the support system, and that they are lonely. It's really hard to make friends when you are older because we don't have those easy connections we had when we had kids."

John Ferro: 845-437-4816; jferro@poughkeepsiejournal.com; Twitter: @PoJoEnviro

67%

Percentage of baby boomers who indicate they may leave New York state.

74%

Percentage of boomers who worry about paying their utility bills.

$105B

Economic loss if 1.6 million boomers who say they might leave New York actually do.

Source: AARP