NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — One advocacy group says a third of gay seniors live in poverty in New York City, and one city councilman has decided to do something about it.

“I think we forget that those folks who came before us who really led the way and were pioneers in our movement are still around,” Catherine Thurston of the group SAGE said, which advocates for gay seniors. “People, at the time in their life when they’re most vulnerable, feel that they need to hide who they truly are.”

To help those in need, Councilman Ritchie Torres has secured $1.5 million in the city’s budget to establish a LGBT senior center in each borough, WCBS 880’s Alex Silverman reported.