Connected Communities

Goal 1: Create Connected Communities that Support All Coloradans

By 2030, Colorado will be home to 1.5 million adults over the age of 60, which will represent almost a quarter of the state population. For the first time in history, people over the age of 60 will outnumber people under the age of 18. In order to ensure all members of our communities are well resourced and engaged in community, the State of Colorado seeks to support age-friendly communities by focusing the eight domains of livability, as defined by the World Health Organization, AARP and the Lifelong Colorado Initiative:

• Housing; 
• Transportation; 
• Social participation;
• Outdoor spaces and buildings;
• Communication and information;
• Civic participation and employment;
  Community support and health service; and
• Respect and social inclusion

Colorado’s Multi-Sector Plan on Aging will support the implementation of age-friendly policies and programs while respecting the rich cultures and geographical diversity across the state. This goal will prioritize community members for each domain to ensure initiatives are impactful and functional for everyone.

Housing

Housing is a primary issue across Colorado. In order to meet the unique needs of Coloradans, we must increase the supply of different types of development that meet the varying needs and incomes of Coloradans. Colorado has the opportunity to support older adults through a continuum of housing needs, including the ability to age in community, the ability to downsize and the ability to access the services and supports necessary to maintain a high quality of life. The initiatives outlined in this goal will focus on:

• Preventing homelessness;
• Preserving existing housing;
• Changing property taxes;
• Creating supportive housing;
• Providing long-term care options;
• Designing homes that are usable for everyone;
• Offering resources for renters; and
• Making housing more affordable

These policies and initiatives will work to ensure all Coloradans, including historically marginalized Coloradans, have access to appropriate housing.

Transportation

Affordable and accessible transportation is critical for community engagement and access to necessary services such as food and healthcare. Colorado’s Multi-Sector Plan on Aging seeks to develop and implement age-friendly and disability-friendly transportation models to support community access for all Coloradans. Accessible, affordable and reliable transportation networks, transit-oriented community models, safe sidewalks and roads and innovative service delivery models will ensure all community members have access to the resources we need.     

Social Participation

Connecting with others is important for our health and our communities. Loneliness and social isolation are associated with great risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia, depression and anxiety. By providing opportunities for people to build and maintain relationships, Colorado can reduce loneliness and improve the health and well-being of our society. Initiatives to support social participation include:

• Intergenerational relationship building;
• Affordable and accessible programming; and
• Lifelong learning

Outdoor Spaces and Buildings

Outdoor spaces may impact how community members recreate, travel and engage in community activities. Colorado seeks to create community spaces that support all Coloradans of all ages. This includes clean and safe places to recreate and gather, safe streets and sidewalks, and adequate lighting. The outdoor spaces goal also captures the need to improve air quality and educate older adults about the health risks of extreme heat. Finally, Colorado will promote education regarding emergency preparedness and risk mitigation to improve public safety.

Communication and Information

Clear and accessible information enables Coloradans to make informed decisions about community engagement, health care, service providers and end-of-life care. Community members have frequently requested accessible and updatable resource hubs to better navigate care and community access. Colorado has many trusted resources for information. Empowering these resources, such as Area Agencies on Aging and local nonprofits, to serve as hubs of information will be essential for ensuring Coloradans have access to appropriate information and communication resources. This domain also addresses communication access services, including resources for older adults who are deaf, hard of hearing and/or blind.

Civic Participation and Employment

Older adults bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to our communities. In 2018, AARP found that people over the age of 50 contributed $8.3 trillion (40 percent) to the nation’s gross domestic product. Age-friendly communities provide older adults the opportunity to contribute to community through paid employment, volunteer work and civic engagement. With a strong job market and many highly skilled older workers, Colorado has the opportunity to grow our economy by retaining and employing older workers. Colorado will work to reduce ageism and increase the visibility of older adults to encourage civic participation, paid employment and volunteerism. Through this goal, Colorado has the opportunity to encourage and support communities to develop local and regional multi-sector plans on aging.

Community Support and Health Service

Everyone is aging, which means Colorado residents represent infinite intersections of aging and other identities. Colorado will consider all aspects of identities when proposing policy or programmatic initiatives, including but not limited to:

• Race;
• Gender; 
• Sexual orientation; 
• Disability;
• Veteran status; 
• Immigrants and refugees;
• Indigenous communities;
• And others 

This component will also tie in with Goal 2: Build a Colorado that Supports the Health Care Needs of All Older Coloradans. 

Respect and Social Inclusion

Our communities thrive when everyone is treated with respect. In order to ensure older adults are treated with respect and dignity, Colorado needs to reduce ageism across our state. Ageism, which is discrimination or stereotyping based on age, harms our physical health, economies and longevity. Protection of at-risk older adults through adult protection and elder justice work will also contribute to all community members feeling respected, included in community and safe.