Aging in Place

One of the things I love and value most about College Park is that it is truly multi-generational.  From our youngest residents to our most senior, our neighborhoods are diverse, vibrant, and active places.  A key to maintaining this vibrancy is enhancing services and supports to residents as they age, so that they may, if they wish, comfortably stay in their homes and make such key contributions to our neighborhoods.

In Spring of 2014, the City of College Park created an Aging in Place Task Force.  This group, comprised of members of City Council as well as interested residents has been working diligently on a needs assessment in order to determine what additional services and supports our seniors might find helpful as they age. The task force fielded a survey and is now in the process of analyzing the results.  After the task force has completed this work, the work of the task force will be over, and it will disband.

Although the results of the survey are not yet known, it will soon be time for action.  As a member of the City Council, I will use the results of the survey to encourage my fellow council members to take swift, decisive action, including:

• Permanent Aging in Place Committee.  As a member of City Council, I will introduce or support legislation establishing a permanent Aging in Place Committee which would have both members of City Council, as well as city staff and residents from all districts of the City.
• Leverage federal and state funds.  Greater services and supports to help older residents stay in their homes doesn't have to cost the City a lot more money. The City should take greater advantage of state and federal funds, available through federal programs such as the US Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development to enhance the services need in order to stay in their homes as they age.  
  
• Create and expand assistance programs.  With the may allow the City to provide new and expanded programs such, to provide low-interest or no-interest loans for adaptations to homes to make them more accessible; help residents on fixed incomes afford mortgage or rental payments;