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Age Strong presents expansion plans as seniors cite transportation, space and service gaps
Summary
At a Boston City Council hearing May 28, Age Strong Commissioner Emily Shea outlined FY26 priorities — transportation modernization, expanded programming and a new community ambassador program — while seniors and advocates urged faster fixes to shuttle service, sidewalks and senior center space.
“Imagine a Boston that embraces aging, where growing older means growing bolder,” Age Strong Commissioner Emily Shea told the council during a May 28 budget hearing at Grove Hall Senior Center.
The Age Strong presentation to the Committee on Ways and Means laid out staffing, grantmaking and transportation goals for FY26 and emphasized equity and neighborhood‑based outreach. The department said it has more than 100 positions, bilingual staff who speak more than 11 languages, and a recent expansion of programming hours and sites.
Why it matters: Boston’s population of older adults is growing and economically strained, the department said. Age Strong described rising demand for transportation, home‑based benefits navigation, behavioral health services and neighborhood programming; speakers at the hearing asked the city to move faster to improve shuttle and taxi coupon access, fix sidewalks that limit mobility and increase space for senior programming.
Key program details presented
- Grants and funding: Age Strong manages multiple grant streams.…
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