Item 9: Draft Recommendation — original pdf

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COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION Commission on Aging Recommendation Number: 20260812-009: Adoption of the Age-Friendly Austin Action Plan 2026–2030 The Austin Commission on Aging recommends adoption of the Age-Friendly Austin Action Plan 2026– 2030 to guide the City's work in supporting older adults and maintaining Austin's Age-Friendly designation. WHEREAS, the City of Austin has been recognized as a member of the WHO Age-Friendly network since 2016 and has demonstrated its commitment to making Austin an Age-Friendly community through implementation of the Age-Friendly Austin Action Plans for 2016–2020 and 2021–2025; and WHEREAS, persons 65 years of age and older are the fastest-growing age group in Austin, increasing from 55,695 residents, or 7.0 percent of the population, in 2010 to 91,733 residents, or 9.5 percent of the population, in 2020, a 64.7 percent increase1, making it increasingly important that the City plan for the needs of its growing older adult population; and WHEREAS, on June 5, 2025, the Austin City Council adopted Resolution No. 20250605-084, affirming the City's commitment to ensuring that Austin is an Age-Friendly community and improving the quality of life for older adults, directing City departments to provide services with an Age-Friendly perspective and incorporate the goals and strategies of the Age-Friendly Action Plan into how they fulfill their missions, and directing continued collaboration among the City Manager, Austin Public Health's Age-Friendly Program, and the Commission on Aging to support implementation of the Action Plan and assess the resources needed to carry out its goals and strategies; and WHEREAS, the Austin Older Adult Quality of Life Study identified significant challenges and disparities affecting older Austinites, including housing, transportation, health and food insecurity, social isolation, digital access, and access to inclusive and accessible community resources, and the Age-Friendly Austin Action Plan 2026–2030 includes goals and strategies that respond to many of these findings2; and WHEREAS, the Age-Friendly Austin Action Plan 2026–2030 was developed by Austin Public Health through an extensive public engagement process that included the Age-Friendly Austin Summit on February 20, 2026, review of the Austin Older Adult Quality of Life Study, stakeholder meetings, and a public comment survey conducted in June 2026, and reflects the priorities identified through those efforts; and 1 RESOLUTION NO. 20250605-084 2 Austin Older Adult Quality of Life Study 2025 Page 1 of 2 WHEREAS, the Age-Friendly Austin Action Plan 2026–2030 establishes measurable objectives, strategies, community and City partners, implementation timelines, and metrics to guide and assess progress toward making Austin a more Age-Friendly community; and WHEREAS, the Austin Commission on Aging, in its role as the City's advisory body on issues affecting older adults, worked with Austin Public Health throughout development of the Age-Friendly Austin Action Plan 2026–2030, reviewed successive drafts, provided recommendations on the focus areas, and implementation strategies, and finds that the final plan reflects the priorities identified through community engagement and the Austin Older Adult Quality of Life Study; and WHEREAS, adoption and implementation of an updated Age-Friendly Action Plan supports Austin's continued participation in the WHO Global Network for Age-Friendly Cities and Communities and demonstrates the City's ongoing commitment to Age-Friendly planning. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Austin Commission on Aging recommends that the Austin City Council adopt the Age-Friendly Austin Action Plan 2026–2030 and direct its implementation as the City's five-year roadmap for advancing Austin as an Age-Friendly community, improving the quality of life of older adults, and helping ensure that all Austinites have the opportunity to age safely, remain engaged in their communities, and live with dignity and independence. Date of Approval: _____________________________ Record of the vote: Attest: _____________________________________________ Page 2 of 2