Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Age Friendly topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
AARP-recognized age‑friendly plan presented to Verona council; focus on walkability, housing and senior services
Summary
New Jersey Future presented an AARP-aligned Age-Friendly action plan based on 278 survey responses and focus groups; priorities include creating an age-friendly subcommittee, a housing and downsizing assessment, a home-maintenance and snow-assistance program, walkability audits, and a senior information hub. The plan seeks implementation funding and continued community engagement.
Chris Tiro of New Jersey Future presented the findings of an Age-Friendly needs assessment and a corresponding action plan the council on July 6. "My name is Chris Tiro. I'm a policy and program coordinator with New Jersey Future," he said, explaining the project’s methodology and funding.
The project, funded by a New Jersey Department of Human Services grant awarded in March 2025, gathered 278 survey responses, hosted focus groups and interviews, and examined eight domains of livability identified by AARP. Tiro said Verona has a slightly higher proportion of senior residents than state averages and recommended short- and long-term actions to help older residents remain healthy, independent and engaged.
Key near-term actions in the plan include establishing an age-friendly subcommittee, conducting a housing and downsizing assessment, launching a home maintenance and snow‑assistance program, performing a ridership audit of senior transit services, conducting walkability and pedestrian-safety audits, and creating a centralized senior information hub and printed resource guide. Tiro said many recommended steps are low-cost and that AARP recognition improves competitiveness for implementation funding.
Council members asked about benchmarking and cost. Tiro said that while he did not have a full view of the township budget, the AARP recognition and documented needs assessment position the town to pursue ARP and other implementation grants. The council agreed to consider the plan as a roadmap to target grant applications and to formalize a subcommittee to help monitor progress.
