Washington, Washington, D.C. Print
Joined the AARP Age-Friendly Network:
10/3/2012
Lead Agency:
Government Agency
Action Plan Download
Positioned in the DC Office of the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services, Age-Friendly DC has aligned with 20 agencies across DC government who report results about progress to the Mayors City Administrator. Over 100 community organizations are actively helping to change DC into an easier city in which to grow older. Age-Friendly DC has succeeded in making sidewalk repairs as important as roadway upkeep. Long term care workforce training and licensure among 50 year old persons living in public housing should be a priority across the nation, as it is in DC, where 20 want to work to make ends meet and/or achieve purposeful living.
Action Plan Highlights
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Housing
Increase the supply of affordable housing for older adults by reviewing ADU zoning restrictions, and providing consumer-facing inventories of older adult housing options. -
Health and Community Services
Compensate low-income, unpaid caregivers of Medicaid-eligible residents for respite care. -
Health and Community Services
DCs Citywide Family Medical Leave Act was implemented in 2020, (funded with DC businesses' pooled resources) to provide paid time off for new parents and the caregivers of disabled residents, with the enthusiastic support of Age-Friendly DC.
Progress Report Download
Washington,DC's age-friendly progress report shows an emphasis on affordable housing, safe and affordable transportation, and civic participation as a means of improving health and quality of life for district residents - specifically as the community reacted to COVID-19. The community has added hundreds of affordable housing units and units specifically designed for grandparents raising grandchildren, reduced fair housing complaints, and created programs to give grants for home modifications. DC has also increased curb ramps, added almost 40,000 square feet of new or improved sidewalks, and reduced non-compliance with public transit stops by more than 50%. Also prioritizing civic engagement, DC has cut unemployment for older residents, created an age-friendly business program, and added a team of direct service providers for older adults trained in LGBTQ cultural competency. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Washington, DC has also pivoted to virtual engagements, helping older residents learn new, marketable skills, connecting residents to new income and food sources, and spreading opportunities for purposeful engagement with mindfulness that Black Lives Matter.
