Human Services Commissioner Sarah Adelman has announced the distribution of $720,000 in grants to local government and nonprofit organizations in New Jersey. The funding is intended to help these groups assess, plan, and develop initiatives aimed at making communities more age-friendly for older adults.
The Age-Friendly Communities grants are part of a broader effort that encourages community partnerships, needs assessments, and action plans to support aging populations. The program also encourages participation in the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities.
“Aging is a lifelong process, and community planning that considers the needs of residents as they age benefits everyone. I commend the local governments and organizations that are joining us in our commitment to being an Age-Friendly State. We’ve prioritized new funding to help local communities implement our Age-Friendly Blueprint, ensuring it’s not just a document on a shelf, but an active guide that drives real change throughout New Jersey. This investment will help make our communities more inclusive and accommodating for people at every stage of life,” said Commissioner Adelman.
This round of grants brings the total investment under the Age-Friendly Grants Program to $3 million. In March, $2.2 million was awarded to similar projects designed to put recommendations from the New Jersey Age-Friendly Blueprint into practice.
Both types of grants within this program—Age-Friendly Project grants and Age-Friendly Communities grants—aim to foster collaboration between public and private sectors while improving health, satisfaction, and quality of life by addressing eight domains related to livability for all residents.
Membership in the AARP Network signifies a community’s commitment from elected leaders to work with residents toward making their locality more supportive for aging populations. The network provides access to research, planning models, and best practices from across the country and around the world.
“The projected increase in our older adult population over the coming decade offers a unique opportunity for leaders across all levels of government and within communities to implement intentional changes and strategic plans. This moment allows us to foster more inclusive and integrated environments for individuals of all ages and abilities. By investing in age-friendly communities, we can ensure that everyone in New Jersey has the opportunity to thrive as they grow older, alongside friends and family,” said Deputy Commissioner for Aging and Disability Services Kaylee McGuire.
Grants up to $70,000 were awarded to: Bergen County Division of Senior Services; Carteret Borough; Center of United Methodist Aid to the Community Ecumenically Concerned with Helping Others (CUMAC/ECHO) in Paterson; Fair Lawn Borough; Greater Somerset County YMCA (Bernards Township); Jersey City; Lodi Borough; Oradell Borough; Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Cape May County; Somerset County; Toms River Township.
In 2021, Governor Phil Murphy created an advisory council focused on advancing age-friendly policies through Executive Order No. 227. This led Human Services—and specifically Commissioner Adelman—to chair development efforts resulting in publication of an Age-Friendly Blueprint in May 2024.
The blueprint seeks innovation in aging policy by increasing age-friendly municipalities statewide, treating aging as an asset within policy decisions, reimagining long-term care services integration, supporting meaningful community living choices for residents, reducing disparities through access to health and social supports, among other objectives.
“It is exciting to see this work being put into action in communities across the state. I hope this will inspire more towns and counties to make inclusivity part of their community planning and motivate all of us to reexamine how we view getting older and the value that comes with age and experience,” said Division of Aging Services Assistant Commissioner Louise Rush.
