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A Great City for Older Adults

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A collaborative process between AARP Vermont, City of Burlington, 'stakeholder' ... AARP defines a livable community as 'one that has affordable housing, supportive ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: A Great City for Older Adults


1
  • A Great City for Older Adults
  • Results of Burlington Research and Planning
  • Vermont Planning Conference
  • November 30, 2007

Jennifer Wallace-Brodeur AARP Vermont
2
What is the Burlington Livable Community Project?
  • A collaborative process between AARP Vermont,
    City of Burlington, stakeholder organizations
    and residents of Burlington, articulating a
    vision for increasing Burlingtons livability as
    its population ages.

3
  • AARP defines a livable community as one that has
    affordable housing, supportive community features
    and services, and adequate mobility options,
    which together facilitate personal independence
    and the engagement of residents in civic and
    social life.
  • Initial focus on housing, mobility and community
    engagement

4
Year One Four Major Research Activities
  • Focus Groups
  • Citizen/Stakeholder Groups
  • Housing, Mobility, Community Engagement
  • Pedestrian Evaluation
  • Telephone Survey

5
Wisdom gleaned from citizen participants
I take the car to places I could walk because
getting across the street Shelburne Road is so
difficult.
When you get old, youre no longer who you were
nobody knows you except as an old person. The
fact is, we have a treasure trove of experience
and interesting things to share.
Theres things Burlington has to offer if you
have really great resources. You can find a
terrific place to live. And I think if you are
in a poverty situation, you can find some place
to live. But that middle when I sell my house
to downsize, where am I going to go?
6
BLCP Survey of Age 45 Burlington Residents
37 Male 63 Female
7
BLCP Survey of Age 45 Burlington Residents
8

Housing
  • 77 own 23 rent
  • 1/3 of renters in senior housing rest are in
    non-age restricted housing
  • 38 live alone 52 with spouse or partner 29
    live with family 3 friend

9
Housing
  • Residents living alone more likely to live
    downtown (71) or in the Old North End (50)
  • 90 agree with the statement What Id really
    like to do is stay in my neighborhood and home
    for as long as possible.

10
Housing
  • Items that make it difficult to stay in own home
    or community
  • Financial issues top the list such as affording
    property taxes, rent, and utilities
  • Significant concerned about factors that could
    limit their independence such as not being able
    to drive and getting help with personal care and
    chores

11
Mobility
  • Majority of 45 get out at least 5x/week
  • Residents 75 get out much less frequently
    compared to younger residents they are 2x as
    likely to get out only 2x per week or less
  • Lower income and lower education residents also
    get out less frequently

12
Mobility
  • 76 of residents 45 driveas primary mode of
    transportation
  • 65 for those 75 and older drive as primary mode
  • Residents 75 more frequently miss out on
    opportunities because of lack of transportation
    true for lower income and lesser education

13
Mobility
  • 30 use the bus occasionally of these 40 report
    taking the bus within the past 2 months
  • Residents with income below 35K take the bus
    more frequently 53 reported taking the bus at
    least weekly in past 2 months
  • Negatives about the bus
  • Lack of weekend or evening service
  • Lack of adequate shelter or place to sit while
    waiting
  • Inconvenient schedules
  • 1 Reason for not using the bus 52 report they
    drive or have other transportation

14
CommunityEngagement
  • About 60 of residents are part of some kind of
    group same percentage volunteer.
  • Those 75 cite health or disability and lack of
    transportation as reasons they dont volunteer.
  • Educational opportunities topped the list of
    activities people wanted in Burlington.

15
Report to City
  • A Great City for Older Adults An Action Plan for
    Burlington
  • Final report on research with vision and
    recommended action items presented to Mayor and
    City Council in May, 2007

16
RecommendedActions
HOUSING
  • Infrastructure
  • Develop senior housing game plan with range of
    options across income levels
  • Need housing that is multi-generational, designed
    to promote community and connection, convenient
    to services activities
  • Upgrade existing housing stock, with home
    modification and repair
  • Provide more options for congregate housing
    home sharing, cooperatives, continuing care
    communities and accessory apartments
  • Provide more dementia care facilities, assisted
    living residences and supportive housing options
    for low and middle income residents
  • Participate in city planning processes to promote
    livable community policies

17
RecommendedActions
HOUSING
  • AGING IN PLACE SERVICES
  • Facilitate growth of support services explore
    development of naturally occurring retirement
    communities (NORCs) with a hub that provides
    services to the neighborhood
  • Enhance communication of information and
    networking amongst agencies with targeted
    services for elders
  • Advocate at the state and national level for
    increased financial support of programs
    delivering services to elders in their homes

18
RecommendedActions
MOBILITY
  • PEDESTRIAN
  • Prioritize pedestrian improvements longer walk
    signals for crossing major streets, ample public
    benches along major routes, better lighting of
    bus stops, parking lots parking garages
  • Expand enforce pedestrian friendly
    ordinancesfor effective and safe shared use of
    sidewalks between pedestrians, bicyclists,
    skateboarders, and electric vehicles

19
RecommendedActions
MOBILITY
  • PUBLIC TRANSIT INNOVATION
  • Improve weekend and night bus service, expand
    service area, and increase service frequency
  • Work with community and state leaders to increase
    funding for public transportation
  • Explore partnerships with community non-profits,
    businesses, and institutions to get people to
    events and activities
  • Increase marketing of the benefits and
    convenience of using public transportation
  • Research and encourage the establishment of
    innovative programs such as Zip Cars, car
    donation and volunteer driver programs

20
RecommendedActions
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
  • SENIOR PROGRAMMING
  • Build wide array of enrichment opportunities for
    senior population in collaboration with senior
    centers, colleges, and cultural and recreational
    institutions
  • Integrate consideration of limited mobility
    access issues and other needs of older adults in
    event and program planning
  • Develop capacity within city government with an
    ombudsman or council/commission to represent
    BLCP and senior issues.

21
RecommendedActions
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
  • TAPPING EXPERTISE OF ELDERS
  • Create a city culture that recognizes and uses
    the rich experiences of its elder population
    through strong volunteer/mentoring programs
  • Work with the business community to develop
    innovative older worker employment policies
  • Encourage seniors to share the wisdom of the
    senior voice through active civic engagement on
    boards and committees throughout the city
  • Train and organize citizens to advocate for
    policy change at the state and local level.

22
Implementation
  • STAKEHOLDERS
  • Stakeholders continuing to meet quarterly
  • Work groups on housing and community engagement
    established
  • Relationship with City formalized
  • Participation in development of Citys
    Transportation Plan

23
Implementation
  • RESIDENTS
  • Close to 200 residents have participated and AARP
    will continue to engage them as volunteers and
    advocates
  • Volunteer programs pedestrian evaluations, home
    modification/repair, neighborhood engagement
  • Web site

24
BLCP Stakeholders
  • AARP Vermont
  • Burlington CEDO
  • Burlington City Arts
  • Burlington Housing Authority
  • Burlington Parks Recreation
  • Burlington Police Department
  • Burlington Public Works
  • Cathedral Square Corporation
  • CCTA
  • Champlain Senior Center
  • Champlain Valley Agency on Aging
  • Champlain Long Term Care Coalition
  • Chittenden County Metropolitan Planning
    Organization
  • Community of Vermont Elders (COVE)
  • Converse Home
  • Ethan Allen Residence
  • FAHC Community Health Improvement
  • FAHC Elder Care
  • Fletcher Free Library
  • Greater Burlington YMCA
  • Heineberg Senior Center
  • HomeShare Vermont
  • Snelling Center for Government
  • United Way Foster Grandparents RSVP
  • UVM Department of Continuing Education
  • UVM Transportation Center
  • Vermont Interfaith Action
  • Vermont LGBTQ Elders Project
  • Vermont Refugee Resettlement Project
  • Visiting Nurse Association

25
To Get Involved in the BLCP
  • CONTACT
  • Jennifer Wallace-Brodeur
  • AARP VT
  • 112 State St. 5th Floor
  • Montpelier, VT 05602
  • 802 224-1113
  • jwbrodeur_at_aarp.org
  • www.aarp.org/vt

26
A Great City for Older Adults
  • www.blcp.org
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