A Great City for Older Adults

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

Jennifer Wallace-Brodeur AARP Vermont
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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.

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• 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

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Year One Four Major Research Activities

• Focus Groups
• Citizen/Stakeholder Groups
• Housing, Mobility, Community Engagement
• Pedestrian Evaluation
• Telephone Survey

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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?
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BLCP Survey of Age 45 Burlington Residents
37 Male 63 Female
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BLCP Survey of Age 45 Burlington Residents
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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

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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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

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A Great City for Older Adults

• www.blcp.org