Age Friendly Sonoma County is a great place to grow up and grow old. We are here to help our cities become more Age Friendly, fostering health, well-being, inclusion and participation across the lifespan.
An Age Friendly Community benefits the entire community.
We are meeting with city leaders to introduce the Age Friendly Sonoma County Initiative, identify existing areas of alignment and to provide Age Friendly resources helpful to city planning and services.
Below are some current highlights of this city’s process…
Healdsburg
Our First Meeting – Healdsburg City Leaders and Age Friendly Sonoma County:
Thursday, August 18th, 2016
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We had our first meeting with Mayor Tom Chambers and City Manager David Mickaelian and look forward to further conversations.
Up Next: Age Friendly Sonoma County will be the topic of a presentation to the Healdsburg Senior Citizens Advisory Commission on October 27th..
Healdsburg’s Existing Age Friendly Alignment:
Strategic Goals for City Planning and Development
Healdsburg has an active Senior Citizens Advisory Commission with Age Friendly aligned 2016 Goals, Subcommittees and Liaisons to other City Committees including Transportation and Housing. The activities of Healdsburg’s SCAC mesh perfectly with the Age Friendly initiative. For example, Goal #1 is to increase communication to and from, the City Council, the public at large and community organizations and institutions on issues pertaining to the needs of older adults with an emphasis on senior programs and services. Healdsburg’s SCAC also addresses issues of transportation and housing, areas where there is ample opportunity for Age Friendly discussions.
Quality of Life is the first Strategic Initiative in Healdsburg’s Strategic Plan for 2014-2019. Included are goals for ensuring public safety; increasing housing choices that also support multi-generational living and strong neighborhoods; providing quality open space, parks and recreation; promoting healthy living and lifestyles and celebrating community diversity. As the City moves toward meeting these goals, Age Friendly features could be incorporated.
Healdsburg’s second Strategic Initiative is Economic Diversity and Innovation. This initiative could include Age Friendly considerations such as the support, retention and continued training of older workers, as well as mobilizing civic engagement and volunteer participation by seniors.
In July 2016, the Healdsburg Housing Action Plan was published after a comprehensive community engagement and planning process. The Vision for Housing that frames the entire plan states: In 2022, Healdsburg is a diverse, thriving community evidenced by a wide variety of housing – both price and type. Individuals at all life stages and all economic levels participate in active, welcoming neighborhoods, which together make up our larger community. (Note: bold type was added for Age Friendly emphasis.)
While the Housing Action Plan states that Healdsburg seeks to “increase the number of younger households in [the] community” (p. 32), some of the stated Objectives also support livability for an aging population. Housing Action Plan Objective 1.0 seeks to increase the quantity and quality of affordable housing and Objective 2.0 includes a goal to add 125 secondary housing units by 2022. Also known as “Granny Units,” these secondary dwellings could provide additional housing options for older adults.
How exciting to see what the historic and beautiful city of Healdsburg brings forth now and into the future!
Current Age Friendly Community Assets:
Healdsburg Senior Citizen Advisory Commission
Healdsburg Regional Public Library
Healdsburg Community Services / Parks and Recreation
Healdsburg Senior Living Community
Healdsburg Transit Information
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For more Sonoma County Age-Friendly Community Assets, please refer to: the Sonoma County Area Agency on Aging’s Senior Resource Guide (in English and in Spanish).
Additional Healdsburg City Resources:
Map – Healdsburg and County Unincorporated Areas
Healdsburg Chamber of Commerce & Visitors’ Bureau
ADA and Accessibility Information
Becoming Even More Age Friendly
According to the 2016-2020 Sonoma County Area Agency on Aging Area Plan, adults 60 years and older comprise 24% of Healdsburg’s total population. As elsewhere in the county, state and world, the number of older adults is projected to increase in Healdsburg over the coming years.
Clearly, city leaders have the opportunity to thoughtfully address ways to address the needs of an aging population.
Age Friendly Sonoma County is here to provide resources and support to city leaders and a growing number of Age Friendly community advocate volunteers. We are here to make Sonoma County a great place to grow up and grow old, promoting well-being across the lifespan.
Age-Friendly Sonoma County Volunteers – Healdsburg:
County Steering Committee Member – Healdsburg Representative:
In process...
These volunteers will provide leadership for the countywide Age-Friendly initiative including guiding principles for the first two years of the WHO/AARP program process.
Healdsburg Age-Friendly City Task Force Members:
In process...
These volunteers will guide the Age-Friendly process for their city. They will include city residents and other individuals who live in the surrounding unincorporated area that identifies with this particular city.
Age-Friendly Community Advocates:
In process…
These volunteers will provide Age-Friendly advocacy through shorter term, more focused and one-time activities that support the work of the County Steering Committee, the City Task Forces and other related Age-Friendly events.
To learn more about Age-Friendly Volunteering, click here. We look forward to hearing from you!
