Mac users: Increase text size by holding command and +. Decrease text size by holding command and -.About one-third of U.S. adults age 45 and older report feeling lonely — and, due to an increased number of aging adults, the number is growing.
A survey by AARP Foundation finds that those who have low income are especially vulnerable. Nearly half of midlife and older adults with annual incomes of less than $25,000 report being lonely. A full 10 million people over the age of 50 live in poverty in the United States. Continue reading
Having access to arts and cultural opportunities is an important part of communities and regions being healthy and engaging places for people of all ages. The Cultural Facilities Fund has supported 617 capital projects and 259 planning projects in 216 cities and towns across Massachusetts that have created such access. Continue reading
Fannie Mae recently announced a call for Ideas on Healthy Affordable Housing. The application period is open until November 1, 2018.
This Call for Ideas is part of The Innovation Challenge, a key component of Fannie Mae’s Sustainable Communities Initiative challenging public, private, and nonprofit sector organizations to reimagine affordable housing as the prescription for a healthy life. Continue reading
Studies of older people have shown that good mental health and greater social
engagement are markers of resilience in aging and may be protective against
cognitive decline. Some studies suggest that treating psychiatric symptoms may
also be protective.
Dr. Nancy Donovan, Director of Geriatric Psychiatry at Brigham & Women’s Hospital, will discuss these findings and her own research that is part of the Harvard Aging Brain Study, a longitudinal study of 270 cognitively healthy older adults. The presentation and discussion will take place at Goddard House Assisted Living in Brookline. Continue reading
The Baker-Polito Administration announced nearly $5 million in awards to 31 communities throughout the Commonwealth through two new grant programs under the Housing Choice Initiative.
The Housing Choice Initiative, introduced by Governor Charlie Baker in December 2017, is a comprehensive effort to support the creation of 135,000 new housing units by 2025 to meet the housing needs of Massachusetts’s families, workforce and residents. The Housing Choice Initiative provides incentives, rewards and technical assistance reform to encourage and empower municipalities to plan and build the diverse housing stock that the Commonwealth needs to continue to thrive. Continue reading
Mobility2040 is the long-range transportation planning document for the Central Massachusetts Metropolitan Planning Organization and describes the region’s current transportation system and how that system should be maintained and modified over the next 20 years. Continue reading
America Walks, partners of the Every Body Walk! Collaborative, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Juliet Ashby Hillman Foundation, Lyft, WalkBoston, and other generous sponsors, are excited to announce another round of our popular Community Change Grant program.
This program will award grantees $1,500.00 in community stipends for projects related to creating healthy, active, and engaged places to live, work, and play. Click here to view and complete the application. Continue reading
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a new “Stand STEADI” video series highlighting healthcare teams and programs that are successfully implementing fall prevention.
One of those successful programs is a great example for communities looking to become Age-Friendly.
Along with the Healthy Aging Data Reports and Community Profiles, communities now have another useful tool to help them conduct assessments as part of Age- and Dementia Friendly efforts.
The Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) has re-released DataCommon, an open data resource that was first launched in 2006 and is returning after an extensive user-focused restructuring and redesign. It includes data on a variety of indicators for every city and town and, while it’s intended for planners, it can help anyone – residents, stakeholders, planners, city and town officials, educators, journalists – explore data and make informed decisions. Continue reading
Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh, Somerville Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone, and the 13 other communities of the Metro Mayors Coalition today announced a new regional housing production goal for coalition cities and towns to meet the demands of a robust regional economy and a growing population in Boston and surrounding areas. Continue reading