Oceanside, CA – On April 7, 2024, the City of Oceanside joined the AARP Age-Friendly Network. The San Diego Foundation provided funding to have the City partner with the Center for Excellence in Aging and Longevity at the San Diego State University Social Policy Institute to develop a five-year action plan that will help improve livability in Oceanside. The action plan will be developed over the next year, and the City is currently collecting surveys to help identify priorities and challenges facing older adults and individuals living with disabilities. The deadline to complete the survey is January 6, 2025.
AARP has identified 8 domains of livability that will provide a framework for the City to focus its plan, including Outdoor Spaces and Buildings, Transportation, Housing, Social Participation, Respect and Social Inclusion, Work and Civic Engagement, Communication and Information, and Community and Health Services. In 2024, the City of Oceanside received a 53 overall livability score, which is in the top half of communities nationally. Oceanside had a score of 61 in the category of ‘neighborhood,’ which includes access to parks, libraries, grocery stores, and crime rates. Oceanside also excelled in the ‘health’ category, with a score of 65 due to lower rates of obesity, smoking, and healthcare professional shortages as well as higher access to exercise opportunities.
The City has assembled a group of community members to serve as an Advisory Group that will help guide the development of its action plan. The City has been working with AARP to develop a coalition of Age Friendly Ambassadors who are engaging with the community to ensure that there is broad participation in the surveys and community listening sessions that will be scheduled early next year. Anyone interested in becoming an Age Friendly Ambassador can call (760) 435-5561 or e-mail [email protected]…