By Mary Carr Lee
Census data shows that between 2010 and 2020, the population of people 65 and older in the US grew more than five times faster than the total US population. By 2030, older adults are expected to comprise 18% of the total US population. This demographic shift is playing out in cities across the US, where seniors are now one of the fastest-growing groups experiencing homelessness. At the same time, it creates an increased need for funding, programs, and infrastructure to support the health, transportation needs, and social isolation of older adults.
This shift has pushed a concept called “aging in place” to the top of the priority list for local leaders. Essentially, it’s about making sure homes and neighborhoods are designed so people can stay safe, independent, and connected to their communities as they age.
At the Winter 2026 Mayors Innovation Project meeting in D.C., mayors and experts shared a practical playbook for making this happen. Here’s the breakdown of how they’re turning policy into real results.
Introducing the session, Mayor Talisha Searcy of Takoma Park, Maryland pointed out a troublesome yet common gap many cities face: property values are skyrocketing, but fixed incomes aren’t keeping up. Municipal tax credit programs often use dated eligibility criteria that just don’t work anymore. As a result, Takoma Park is working with the county to update those thresholds so more seniors can qualify for the help they need to stay in their homes and with the state Department on Aging to support home renovation for seniors. The city is also proactively reaching out through a community newsletter to vulnerable homeowners to make sure they’re able to access the city’s supportive programs.
Mike Watson, Director of AARP’s Livable Communities reminded everyone that 8 out of 10 people over 50 want to stay in their current communities. To provide a roadmap for livability, Watson says cities need to look at the whole picture—housing, transit, and safety. Through the AARP Age-Friendly Network, which has over 1,000 member communities, they are moving past nice ideas and into concrete actions like zoning reform and safer crosswalks.
Mayor Justin Bibb of Cleveland, Ohio described how the cost-of-living crisis is hitting older adults hardest and ways that the city is acting urgently to address it. In 2025, Cleveland used ARPA funds to partner with Undue Medical Debt to help abolish more than $2 million in residents’ medical debt. When the federal government shut down in late 2025, delaying the issuance of SNAP benefits, the City also issued a moratorium on utility shutoffs. Bibb spoke about an administrative change that took a confusing 12-form application process for home repairs and simplified it into one form. These moves, designed to quickly respond to identified needs and give families financial breathing room across generations, are examples of what cities can do with existing local authority. Cleveland also established a $100 million housing investment fund to build age-friendly units over the next five years. A key component of the City’s Age Friendly Action Plan is a Senior Taskforce, giving seniors a spot at the decision making table. “Seniors play a big role in anchoring the values of the city,” Bibb said. “Investments that keep them securely housed should be understood as investments in community stability and trust in government.”
In Alexandria, Virginia, Mayor Alyia Gaskins is advancing aging-in-place strategy through another lens: prevention. Alexandria’s fire and EMS teams now report hazards they observe while responding to calls—flooding, mold, mobility risks—which then trigger city-funded home assessments and fall-prevention improvements. “We now have programs that make repairs and help us prioritize high-risk homes,” she explained. The city has also made its DASH buses fare-free, expanded workforce development services for older adults, and pushed long-awaited zoning reforms across the finish line. At the heart of their work is what Gaskins calls a “community connection model”—one that positions housing stability, mobility, and health access as deeply intertwined.
Shelisa Howard-Martinez, Executive Director of Durham Aging Well discussed ways the City of Durham, NC is preparing for and responding to sharp increases in residents 85 and older and an anticipated doubling of dementia diagnoses. Durham is repurposing empty schools into intergenerational housing, reflecting a philosophy that aging policy is also family policy and community policy. Howard-Martinez emphasized addressing ageism starting with language – “We say older adults, not senior citizens” – and she advocates for strengthening the ecosystem of nonprofits that help older adults navigate everything from benefits applications to digital literacy.
The panel’s question-and-answer session revealed emerging consensus around several strategies. Cities are looking to both legalize and increase construction of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and middle-housing models to undo a century of exclusionary land-use design. They are exploring NORCs—Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities—and the Village Movement as scalable, lower-cost models for community support. And they are grappling with a new frontier: deepfake scams, AI-driven fraud, and cybersecurity threats that disproportionately target seniors. Mayors described partnerships with AARP’s Fraud Watch Network, local police, and digital literacy networks as essential first lines of defense.
Throughout the conversation, a consistent theme emerged: aging in place is not a single program but a coordinated system. It depends on aligning tax policy, zoning, home repair services, public health, transportation access, and trusted communication channels. It requires engaging older adults not as beneficiaries but as co-designers. And, as Mayor Bibb put it, it requires a governing philosophy built on simplicity: “You’ve got to make the easy things easy.”