The City of Healdsburg has a variety of policies, programs, and services targeted at the older adult population with plans to make the city more age-friendly.
Transportation: The volunteer program was created to address the transportation, and housing needs for local seniors, and is included int the City’s strategic plan for FY 18-19. The program currently offers a free Healdsburg shuttle bus for all ages with plans to offer a volunteer driving option for seniors needing rides to medical, shopping and social engagements.
1. Housing: The volunteer program will include a shared housing program element. These home shares will be intergenerational living arrangements between a senior home owner and a housing seeker, who agree to share a home or apartment for their mutual benefit. The City of Healdsburg requires developers looking to build in town to include an affordable housing option on certain projects.
2. Outdoor Spaces & Buildings: The City’s has implemented several age-friendly features such as: pedestrian scale lighting, pedestrian and bike trails, wayfinding signs, and roadway enhancements such as roundabouts, and curb cuts. The city has committed to increase the accessibility within the city with $25,000 budgeted annually through 2020 for ADA improvements. The City includes several smaller parks and one large open space which was acquired in late 2017. Currently the City is developing plans to create increased access to these areas for the community.
3. Civic participation/Respect & Inclusion: The SCAC was created to serve as an advocate for Healdsburg’s older adult residents to: Identify the needs of Healdsburg senior residents, Advise the City Council, City boards, commissions, and departments, as well as private agencies on matters related to those needs, and increasing awareness of those needs among the broader population.

The Senior Citizens Advisory Committee has identified the need for increasing diversity, relevancy, and transportation options for seniors as their 2018-2019 fiscal year goals.All of these initiatives involve organizations and leaders from the public, private and nonprofit sectors and mobilize them to collectively have a greater impact. Age Friendly Sonoma County will complement and leverage these partnerships to activate WHO’s policy framework of active aging in our community.