Boston pledges expanded senior programming; West Roxbury pop-up to gain third day

Boston officials on March 28 told a packed West Roxbury hearing that the city will expand programming for older adults this year, including adding a third day of activities at an Ethos-run pilot senior site at the Elks Lodge.

The hearing, convened by Councilor Erin Murphy, chair of the Boston City Council Committee on Strong Women, Families and Communities, brought city administrators and dozens of residents to the Parkway to press for more local senior services and to describe how the pilot has operated since it began in 2023.

The City of Boston said the expansion is already under way. "We're on track to increase the availability of older adult programming by 300% this year," Chief of Human Services Jose Maso told the committee, and Age Strong Commissioner Emily Shea said the city is aiming to deliver thousands more hours of regular programming across neighborhoods. "If you build a space for older adults across the country, it will be immediately successful in full," Shea said.

Why it matters: Boston's older population has grown substantially in recent years and will keep rising, officials said. Commissioner Shea told the committee Boston's population of residents 60 and older has increased from about 88,000 in 2010 to roughly 130,000 today, placing new demand on space and services citywide.

What the city will provide - Third day at West Roxbury pilot: City staff and Ethos have discussed a plan to add a third staffed day of programming at the Elks Lodge. Officials estimated the additional day will cost about $100,000 and said the city can pay for one…