(Washington, DC) – Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser reaffirmed her commitment to making Washington, DC an inclusive, age-friendly city for all residents, specifically for seniors living in the District at the Annual Senior Holiday Celebration. The annual event attracted over 3,000 District seniors, ages 60+, and exhibitors from more than 80 community organizations, government agencies and local businesses.
“Washington, DC is on pace to achieving its goal of becoming one of only three US cities designated as age-friendly,” said Mayor Muriel Bowser. “I am proud of what we have accomplished so far, and we will continue to work hard to make sure people of all ages and abilities can thrive in our great city.”
The Bowser Administration has made significant progress in housing, health, public safety, inclusion and economic stability to become an aged-friendly and livable city for every resident in all eight wards:
Housing
- Invested $100 million every year to the District’s Housing Production Trust Fund to produce or preserve more than 1,200 affordable housing units, including senior apartments.
- Launched the Safe at Home program, providing grants up to $10,000 for home adaptations allowing residents to remain safely in their homes.
- Broke ground on Plaza West, which will provide 223 units of affordable rental housing, including 50 units reserved for grandparents raising grandkids.
- Launched the Genesis intergenerational community – providing affordable residences to 27 young mothers aging out of foster car and seasoned residents.
- Plan and implement assistance housing vouchers for LGBTQ seniors.
Health and Public Safety
- Committed $4 million towards capital improvements to Senior Wellness Centers.
- Conducted Falls Prevention Workshops.
- Provided new options for community dining with the Restaurant Community Dining Pilot program in Wards 7 & 8.
Inclusion
- Recognized 43 Age-Friendly local businesses, whose products, services, and practices help make Washington, DC inclusive for older customers.
- Expanded affordable and accessible transportation through programs like the Seabury ConnectorCard and TransportDC to include Metro Access customers, providing direct point-to-point transportation within the District.
- Signed the Caregiver Advise, Record and Enable Act (CARE Act) into law, providing 75,000 family caregivers with the tools and guidance to care for loved ones transitioning back into the community.
Economic Stability
- Increased the income limit for the Real Property Senior/Disabled tax deduction, reducing real property tax by 50 percent for more seniors ages 65+, who own at least 50 percent of the property.
- Launched the Alternative Pathways to Employment Program to refresh the job skills of DC residents, ages 50 and above.
- Launched LifeCents, providing approximately 1,300 seniors with financial literacy training and consumer protection information.
Since taking office in 2015, Mayor Bowser launched innovative initiatives towards Age-Friendly DC - a coordinated, comprehensive, and collective-action effort whose goal is to ensure that all DC residents are active, connected, healthy, engaged and happy in their environment. The annual holiday celebration highlights the efforts that the Bowser Administration will continue to make for Washington, DC to be a sustainable, age-friendly city for all Washingtonians.