City council committee hears plans to expand senior programming, schedules scams hearing

Boston — The City Council Committee on Human Services on Feb. 26 heard from the Age Strong Commission and Boston Centers for Youth and Families (BCYF) on efforts to expand programming, grant support and outreach for older adults across Boston.

“Boston's older adult population is growing rapidly,” Age Strong Commissioner Emily Shea said, noting the city’s 60-and-over population rose from about 88,000 in 2010 to “more than 130,000 today,” an increase she described as roughly 48% over 15 years. Shea told the committee the demographic trend makes it urgent to expand services that promote health, social connection and access to cultural institutions.

Shea said Age Strong has used a mix of federal, state and city funding to expand programs, including 95 social-engagement grants in FY2026 that together total just under $1,000,000 and state earmarks of $325,000. The commission activated five Age Strong–operated programming spaces in 2025 (the Duet Center in Roxbury; sites in Jamaica Plain, Dorchester and the South End) and has partnered with cultural institutions such as the Museum of Fine Arts and the Institute of Contemporary Art to broaden offerings. Shea also described a new rolling-grant program funded through State Council on Aging dollars and said Age Strong plans an interactive programming calendar and a transportation access plan in the coming year.

Ed McGuire, BCYF’s director of operations, reported BCYF delivered 607 hours of older-adult programming in 2025, served 7,556 individual participants (ages 55-plus) and recorded 175,896 older-adult visits last year, reflecting increases in participation and center usage. “Our role is not simply to offer activities,” McGuire said. “It is to provide welcoming space to foster belonging, reduce isolation, support wellness, and connect older adults to essential resources.” He described a menu of fitness, creative and educational programs and said BCYF is investing in staff training, data dashboards and outreach to sustain services.

Councilors pressed the panel on access and equity. Councilor Flynn asked how Age Strong coordinates with other departments (disability services, veterans, parking and housing) and flagged scams that target older adults. Shea said Age Strong holds standing meetings with partner departments, works with the Boston Police Department on scam-alert outreach and pointed to a dedicated committee hearing on elder scams scheduled for March 9. “We highlight scams every month in our senior magazine, and we partner with the police to try and get the word out,” she said.

Committee members also asked how the city reaches residents in public-housing developments and communities of color. McGuire described a pilot to decentralize social-media outreach to individual BCYF sites, language-access programming, and rolling grants (awards up to $2,500) intended to help housing buildings or nonprofits host neighborhood events. Shea said Age Strong has targeted expanded programming and grant-making to areas with gaps, citing recent efforts in Roxbury and Dorchester.

Members raised service-delivery questions including transportation to programs, library partnerships (Age Strong cited a new library position focused on older adults and said libraries completed dementia-friendly training), pool and facility maintenance that affects swim access for seniors, and the difficulty of sustaining volunteer-based snow-removal programs.

Several elected officials and staff asked for better data to guide equitable expansion. BCYF said it is developing dashboards and cleaning historical data from its PerfectMind platform and that staff could explore producing a heat map showing where participation has grown and where gaps remain.

The committee did not take votes. Chair Erin Murphy closed the hearing by thanking Age Strong and BCYF and saying the council will continue to prioritize seniors as budget decisions are made. Docket 287 was adjourned.