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Alameda County Age Friendly Council outlines programs, supervisors press for measurable senior outcomes
Summary
The Alameda County Age Friendly Council reviewed 2024 initiatives — from HomeSafe housing interventions to digital inclusion and the Healthy Brain Initiative — and supervisors asked for concrete metrics and a joint follow-up with the Area Agency on Aging and housing/homelessness officials.
Faith, a representative of the Alameda County Council for Age Friendly Communities, presented the council's 2024 activities to the joint Social Services and Health committees on March 24, saying the council aligned its work with the state Master Plan for Aging and county goals.
The council highlighted five standing committees and recent accomplishments: legislative advocacy that prioritized 24 bills (Faith cited several chaptered measures), multilingual digital inclusion fact sheets and grant proposals to support broadband access, workforce training supported by a UCSF geriatrics grant, and housing work that included efforts to expand CalAIM supports and protect HomeSafe funding. Faith said HomeSafe funds have paid back rent, temporary housing, utilities and cleanup for older adults and noted the program's current appropriation runs through June 2026.
Supervisor Tam asked how the council coordinates with the Area Agency on Aging and county housing and homelessness programs, noting racial disparities in the unhoused population; she said "53% of the unhoused population in Alameda County are African Americans." Faith responded that AAA (the Department of Adult and Aging Services) is a front-line resource and that many older adults enter APS after earlier opportunities to connect services were missed, underscoring the need for earlier referrals and outreach. An agency official added that better data-sharing and referral protocols are needed to connect people to prevention resources.
Chair asked for concrete performance metrics — "how many seniors housed, how many out of homelessness, how many seniors fed, how many improved their digital understanding" — and said the board may revisit the Age Friendly Council's charge if it lacks authority to convene departments for measurable outcomes. Faith said AAA and senior-nutrition programs will present specific service data to the board at a later date and welcomed a joint meeting of the Social Services and Health committees to review outcomes.
The presentation also noted engagement with community partners such as Oakland Undivided and the senior services coalition. The chair announced the 22nd annual Healthy Living Festival for Alameda County seniors will be held at the Oakland Zoo on Sept. 25. The committee requested a follow-up joint session to review datasets and consider whether Measure W or other funds should address identified needs.
The council's presentation and supervisors' questions closed with an agreement to return with more detailed metrics and to coordinate presentations from AAA, housing and behavioral health on prevention, nutrition and digital inclusion.
