An Introduction to the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities

Download this introductory fact-sheet about the network.

The AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities serves as a catalyst to educate local leaders (both elected officials and engaged residents) and encourage them to implement the types of changes that make communities more livable for people of all ages, especially older adults.

The network provides cities, towns, counties and states with the resources to become more age-friendly by tapping into national and global research, planning models and best practices.

Membership in the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities means that a community’s elected leadership has made a commitment to actively work with residents and local advocates to make their town, city, county or state an age-friendly place to live.

A community’s age-friendly leaders and champions will likely include:

Elected officials
Government agencies
Nonprofit organizations and foundations
Academic institutions
Area Agencies on Aging
Community coalitions
Local businesses
Chambers of Commerce
Residents and lots of volunteers

Joining the Network

There is no fee to join the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities. Communities enroll individually, as part of a region or as a state.*

All towns, villages, townships, boroughs, cities, counties and states seeking to enroll in the AARP age-friendly network are required to submit a membership application.

In addition, the community must provide a letter of commitment signed by the jurisdiction’s highest elected official (e.g. a governor, mayor, county executive).

Communities with council or commission forms of government typically pass a resolution in support of membership in the network.

Membership in the network:

Helps local leaders identify and understand community needs

Serves as an organizing structure for making community improvements

Fosters partnerships among community groups and local stakeholders

Provides leadership opportunities for volunteers

Enables changes that benefit people of all ages

Membership provides a community with:

Public recognition for committing to becoming age-friendly

Resources for identifying and assessing community needs

Access to technical assistance and expert-led webinars

Support and best practice materials from AARP

What Membership Isn't

Communities in the AARP age-friendly network are not retirement villages, gated developments, nursing homes or assisted living facilities. Nor are they planned communities or age-restricted housing developments.

Membership in the network does not mean that the community is, currently, "age-friendly" or a great place to retire.

Membership in the network does not mean AARP endorses the towns, cities, counties or states as places to live.

^{* State enrollment in the network does not confer automatic membership on that state’s local communities.}

Background

The AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities is the United States affiliate of the World Health Organization Global Network for Age-Friendly Cities and Communities, an international effort launched in 2006 to help cities prepare for rapid population aging and the parallel trend of urbanization.

AARP's participation in the program advances efforts to help people live easily and comfortably in their homes and communities as they age. AARP’s presence encourages older adults to take a more active role in their communities and have their voices heard. Initiatives focus on areas such as housing, caregiving, community engagement, volunteering, social inclusion and combating isolation among older citizens.

AARP works with local officials and partner organizations around the country to identify communities for membership in the age-friendly network. AARP facilitates the community's enrollment and guides its representatives through the network’s implementation and assessment process.

Combined with the resources provided by AARP — either through AARP.org/Livable (this website) or the AARP Public Policy Institute — the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities program supports AARP's goal of being recognized by elected officials and others as a leading resource for how to improve the livability of communities for people age 50 or older and their families.

The program emphasizes both the built and the social environment, and helps refine what it means for AARP to have a community presence. The AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities program is a tool that can be used by AARP staff and others to help local leaders prepare and ultimately change their communities to become great places for everyone to live.

After Enrolling in the Network:

Age-friendly initiatives are catalyzing local policy change. 73% of member communities achieved a change in public policy, most often by integrating an “age-friendly lens” into community planning

Public and private entities are investing in local programs and projects. 63% of respondents said that they had received funding or an in-kind donation from the public sector (primarily from municipal government) and 41% received resources from the private sector.

The NAFSC 5-year program cycle and framework is setting communities up for success. 96% of respondents were able to overcome barriers to improving the community for older residents, such as raising awareness about livability issues, increasing collaborations within the community, and implementing educational and engagement programs