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Alameda County Age‑Friendly Council reports services and partnerships; public commenters raise alarm over proposed single‑provider AAA contract
Summary
The county’s Age‑Friendly Council reviewed 2025 outcomes — HomeSafe housing support, Healthy Brain Initiative trainings, meal delivery metrics and digital inclusion work — and public commenters warned that a notice of intent to award the Area Agency on Aging information‑and‑assistance contract to a single provider would undermine local networks and emergency preparedness.
The Alameda County Age‑Friendly Council delivered its 2025 annual update on Monday, detailing housing, health and digital inclusion efforts and prompting public concern over an upcoming contracting decision.
Faith Battles, assistant agency director for Adult & Aging Services, said the council serves as a countywide coordinating body that brings cities, county departments and community‑based organizations together to identify gaps and advocate for older adults. She listed six age‑friendly cities and 16 county departments with council representation and described work across eight domains including housing, transportation, health and civic participation.
HomeSafe and housing: Battles highlighted HomeSafe, a state flexible‑funding program to keep eligible older adults housed. Alameda County’s FY25–26 allocation for HomeSafe is $2,750,000; the presenter said more than $8 million has been dispersed to nearly 500 HomeSafe clients in the county since the program launched, and cited a UCSF Benioff evaluation showing high exit‑to‑housing rates for HomeSafe participants.
Health and services: The council also reviewed a nearly $700,000 Healthy Brain Initiative grant (07/01/2023–07/30/2025) that supported about 110 trainings and nearly 1,700 care providers and caregivers. Faith Battles noted that in FY24–25 the county delivered over 623,000 home meals and nearly 200,000 congregate meals to older adults.
Digital and civic work: Presenters said the council applied for two digital‑equity grants (a $4 million NTIA request and a $1.2 million state plan grant) but did not receive funding; staff described local broadband consortium partnerships, device refurbishment pilots and continued policy work to improve digital access for older adults. The council also tracked and advocated on state bills relevant to older adults that passed in 2025.
Public comment and procurement concerns: During public comment, Wendy Peterson of the Senior Services Coalition urged the board to "change course" on a notice of intent to award the AAA information‑and‑assistance contract to a single provider, calling the move "catastrophic" and warning it would destabilize community‑rooted providers and emergency preparedness. Anna Bactas of the City of Oakland said she reviewed the RFP and that the document itself does not unequivocally require a sole‑source award; she urged greater transparency in the procurement process.
Board follow‑up: Supervisors asked staff for clarification about the RFP scope and how contracting choices would be communicated; staff said ambiguity in one RFP section contributed to confusion and that the highest‑scoring bidder proposed serving the entire county. No contract award was approved at the meeting; staff said a board date for any action has not yet been set.
What’s next: Supervisors asked staff to provide updates and consider a dashboard to show progress across age‑friendly domains and to track investments (including Measure W allocations) for older‑adult services. The committee adjourned after public comment.
