2019 Advocacy Priorities
As we look forward to the ways communities will benefit from the “Age Wave,” many aspects of our regional infrastructure remain unprepared for some aspects of this shift. For about a decade, the Greater Richmond Age Wave Coalition has been working in the region to implement a plan for Age Wave Readiness. Our group has identified housing, workforce, financial health, and transportation issues as a major barriers to making this region a great place to grow old.
Through community surveys, program research, local advocates, and expert analysis, our group has developed the following 2019 advocacy priorities:
Housing Stability
Age Wave believes that access to stable, safe housing is a crucial component of individual and community health. Age Wave supports policies that reduce barriers to accessing permanent housing for all people.
Homelessness
Homelessness overall has been declining since 2009 in our region. For older adults, however, it’s on the rise and has almost doubled. The recent Homeward Point-in-Time Count queried social support status and revealed that perceived lack of social support and social isolation are high among older adults experiencing homelessness. Age Wave supports collaborative solutions among housing and aging services providers, planners, and organizations.
Medicaid
Age Wave supports inclusion of reimbursement for supported housing contained in the 1115 waiver application. A 2010 analysis conducted by Virginia Supportive Housing of clients in their A Place to Start (APTS) program showed a decrease of 61 percent in emergency room visits, and a decrease of 66 percent in emergency room costs. Multiple studies have demonstrated cost savings to public systems of care due to permanent supportive housing.
Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority
Age Wave supports community driven solutions within RRHA. The Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority has approximately 3,200 housing units, 500 units of dedicated senior housing, much of it needing substantial renovation or outright replacement.
In the face of what could mean an overall reduction in housing for low income Richmond residents, Age Wave seeks to support and amplify the voices of those living within RRHA who are looking to participate in discussions about the future of the city’s housing programs.
Age Wave supports “one-to-one” brick and mortar replacement for all housing units during discussions about replacing housing projects.
Workforce
Age Wave supports raising the minimum wage. Age Wave supports the Living Wage Certification Program.
Age Wave supports continued or renewed employment options for older adults and providing tax or other incentives to employers who bring older adults into their workforces. Age Wave supports incentives and program models for new approaches to training that would provide older adults with competitive skills so that they become more attractive to employers.
Age Wave supports measures that provide access to “drastic expansion of recurrent education” to expand mid-career employment, such as 2018’s technology access bill SB 857.
Transportation
Age Wave supports legislation, programs, and projects that increase access to:
Financial Health
Age Wave supports legislation that seeks to ease the burden of student loans. Student loan debt is an older adult issue in America: article 1 | article 2
Older adults are more likely to be targeted by people seeking to financially exploit others for several reasons, in large part because people assume they have more assets. Age Wave supports legislation, projects, programs, and initiatives that help communities maintain financial safety.
Age Wave supports income tax credit for low-income older adults.
Contact: Catherine MacDonald, Greater Richmond Age Wave Director
571-484-4511
macdonaldcs@vcu.edu
Through community surveys, program research, local advocates, and expert analysis, our group has developed the following 2019 advocacy priorities:
Housing Stability
Age Wave believes that access to stable, safe housing is a crucial component of individual and community health. Age Wave supports policies that reduce barriers to accessing permanent housing for all people.
Homelessness
Homelessness overall has been declining since 2009 in our region. For older adults, however, it’s on the rise and has almost doubled. The recent Homeward Point-in-Time Count queried social support status and revealed that perceived lack of social support and social isolation are high among older adults experiencing homelessness. Age Wave supports collaborative solutions among housing and aging services providers, planners, and organizations.
Medicaid
Age Wave supports inclusion of reimbursement for supported housing contained in the 1115 waiver application. A 2010 analysis conducted by Virginia Supportive Housing of clients in their A Place to Start (APTS) program showed a decrease of 61 percent in emergency room visits, and a decrease of 66 percent in emergency room costs. Multiple studies have demonstrated cost savings to public systems of care due to permanent supportive housing.
Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority
Age Wave supports community driven solutions within RRHA. The Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority has approximately 3,200 housing units, 500 units of dedicated senior housing, much of it needing substantial renovation or outright replacement.
In the face of what could mean an overall reduction in housing for low income Richmond residents, Age Wave seeks to support and amplify the voices of those living within RRHA who are looking to participate in discussions about the future of the city’s housing programs.
Age Wave supports “one-to-one” brick and mortar replacement for all housing units during discussions about replacing housing projects.
Workforce
Age Wave supports raising the minimum wage. Age Wave supports the Living Wage Certification Program.
Age Wave supports continued or renewed employment options for older adults and providing tax or other incentives to employers who bring older adults into their workforces. Age Wave supports incentives and program models for new approaches to training that would provide older adults with competitive skills so that they become more attractive to employers.
Age Wave supports measures that provide access to “drastic expansion of recurrent education” to expand mid-career employment, such as 2018’s technology access bill SB 857.
Transportation
Age Wave supports legislation, programs, and projects that increase access to:
- On-Demand Services
- Volunteer Transportation Programs and Voucher Programs
- Empower Older Adult Drivers (such as Granddriver and Carfit)
- Public Transportation Expansion, including these GRTC initiatives:
- Education about and support for Care On-Demand
- Support for Henrico County Transit Development Plan
- Increasing the number of bus stops that are ADA compliant
- Support for in-the-works demand response free ride in downtown Richmond
- Autonomous Vehicles (To prepare for AV implementation, support inclusive language in bills that specify “human driver.” Support hands-off regulatory approach during research phase.)
Financial Health
Age Wave supports legislation that seeks to ease the burden of student loans. Student loan debt is an older adult issue in America: article 1 | article 2
Older adults are more likely to be targeted by people seeking to financially exploit others for several reasons, in large part because people assume they have more assets. Age Wave supports legislation, projects, programs, and initiatives that help communities maintain financial safety.
Age Wave supports income tax credit for low-income older adults.
Contact: Catherine MacDonald, Greater Richmond Age Wave Director
571-484-4511
macdonaldcs@vcu.edu
